Latest malaria drug may be available in govt hospitals in January

The Star, Thursday October 4, 2012

By LOH FOON FONG newsdesk@thestar.com.my

Watch video at: http://videos.thestar.com.my/View.aspx?vid=9171&cid=1

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest malaria combination drug treatment approved by the World Health Organisation will enable patients to reduce the treatment period to three days from the present 14 days.

The drug, which was registered with the ministry's Drug Control Authority in March, is expected to be available at government hospitals in January, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The drug combination contains contributions from Malaysian research data.

He said the fixed dose combination of Artesunate-Metefloquine or ASMQ FDC would enable patients to reduce the malaria treatment period.

“In the past, it took 14 days to treat a malaria case but now a patient takes only one pill a day for three days,” he said after launching the Drug for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI) Jubilee celebrations yesterday.

The pills for three days would cost RM9 to RM10 for adults and RM4.50 for children, he said.

Last year, there were 5,306 malaria infection cases, including 18 deaths, while 3,000 cases, including 14 deaths, were reported up to August this year.

Liow said the case-fatality rate was currently low at 0.35% per case.

“Neglected diseases are mainly due to parasitic and bacterial infections and they affect about 2.7 billion people, especially in rural areas,” he said.

“The diseases could lead to long-term disability, morbidity and premature deaths.”

Since the DNDI was established as a non-profit, public-private partnership effort in 2003, it had introduced six cost-effective drugs and would introduce another seven by 2018.

On the issue of antibiotics abuse, Liow said the ministry had issued a circular to government clinics and hospitals not to over-prescribe medication.

DNDI founding member and former Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said patients preferred doctors who gave them a strong dose of antibiotics.

“If the drug does not work for them, they tend to consider the doctors lousy. But doctors must explain to them about antibiotics use,” he said.

Asked if a patient with viral infection should accept antibiotics because some doctors give antibiotics in view of possible bacterial attack, Dr Ismail said a doctor should not prescribe antibiotics, but should instead find out the cause of the infection.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/4/nation/12120414&sec=nation