Kenyans warned against misuse of malaria drugs

By Elizabeth Mwai

Most Kenyans do not undergo medical tests to ensure right prescription of medicine.

Malaria Division Head Elizabeth Juma expressed concern that 80 per cent of Kenyans take anti-malarials without diagnosis.

"This is dangerous because you might have another disease, which could go untreated and actually make you sicker," said Juma.

In an interview with The Standard, Dr Juma said the rising trend shows when a person develops a headache, fever and joint pains they immediately self-prescribe malaria drugs.

She said the cost of testing malaria in public health centres ranges between Sh20 to Sh40 while in private facilities it is between Sh100 and Sh200.

lives endangered

Juma said the Government had introduced rapid result testing in health facilities to ensure patients are correctly diagnosed.

The Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT), which is Kenya’s first line of treatment for malaria, is the only efficacious drug globally and costs between Sh450 and Sh600 a dose.

Juma urged Kenyans to undertake simple malaria tests so as not to endanger their lives and waste the vital drugs.

She called on Kenyans diagnosed with malaria to ensure they complete the doses.

During last years Multilateral Initiative for Malaria conference held in Nairobi, scientists warned that non-adherence to treatment leads to resistance.

Kenya adopted ACT after Sulphur-based and chloroquine drugs developed resistance to the disease.

Currently, there is no other drug has been found to be as powerful as ACT and scientists have called on countries to ensure they are properly used to avoid resistance.

The World Health Organisation has put out guidelines encouraging countries to use combined therapies instead of Artemisinin alone to delay development of resistance.