The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has several new articles on malaria. Abstracts are shared. Two articles examine the role of travel in malaria transmission, both cross-border and rural-urban. Another considers the effect on pharmacokinetics of lumefantrine due to gut bacteria. In Uganda indoor spraying has reduced transmission, but asymptomatic cases remain among… Continue reading Malaria News Today 2020-10-08: the role of travel, asymptomatic disease and gut microbiome from AJTMH
Category: Pharmacovigilence
Malaria News Today 2020-09-01
Today we feature summaries and abstracts concerning Plasmodium malariae, P. knowlesi and monkey models for vaccine testing, clothianidin insecticide resistance, the mosquito immune system and drug interactions between medicines for malaria patients. Some mosquitoes already have resistance to the latest weapon against malaria By Munyaradzi Makoni: An insecticide about to be widely deployed inside African… Continue reading Malaria News Today 2020-09-01
Prequalification of Malaria Medicines Needs to be Taken More Seriously
The Leadership newspaper in Nigeria reported on Sunday the launching of a new artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) drug knwon by the trade name ‘Artiquick.’Â In order to ensure that it is not just another route to ‘profit-quick’, we looked into the WHO prequalification list to see if the Chinese company ArtePharm that makes the drug… Continue reading Prequalification of Malaria Medicines Needs to be Taken More Seriously
Tanzania: fake drugs, wrong drugs, more drugs
Selling malaria medicines in Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa is a big business. The market is not one that is easily dominated by a few brands, although the Affordable Medicines Facility malaria (AMFm) would hope otherwise. It appears that volume of relatively low or lower cost malaria drugs is the path to profit, not sales… Continue reading Tanzania: fake drugs, wrong drugs, more drugs
Mobile Phones for Monitoring Drug Safety in Rural Ghana
Vida Ami Kukula from Dodowa Health Research Centre, Accra, Ghana, shares her poster presentation from the recently concluded American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Conference. The influx of antimalarial drugs remains a great concern for health care providers and regulatory bodies. Monitoring the safety of antimalarial drugs at the community level possess a challenge… Continue reading Mobile Phones for Monitoring Drug Safety in Rural Ghana
Nigeria continues to test malaria drug efficacy
At present artemisinin-based combination therapy medicines for malaria are our best hope for treating malaria and have the added benefit of reducing parasite transmission. If these drugs lose their power, we are in trouble; hence there is need for continued testing to ensure that drug efficacy remains high. The Nigeria National Malaria Control Program has… Continue reading Nigeria continues to test malaria drug efficacy
Counterfeit
BBC’s Focus on Africa has identified Africa as the dumping ground for counterfeit goods. Some are cheap knock-offs of branded luxury goods that consumers know are not the real deal. Electronics are another area where the customer should beware. Others camouflage as the original product with packaging that is indistinguishable from the authentic item. Toothpaste… Continue reading Counterfeit
Enhancing artemisinin production – on a fast track
With reports from Southeast Asia of resistance by malaria parasites to artemisinin-based drugs, the race is on to guarantee adequate supplies of these medicines for appropriate treatment in the most endemic areas of the world. As PBS phrases it, resistance “now threatens to outfox medicine’s last line of effective drugs.” According to WHO this could… Continue reading Enhancing artemisinin production – on a fast track
Guarding malaria drug quality in Nigeria – from port to store
The Nigerian Tribune reports today that, “A clearing agent(names withheld) has been apprehended by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over his involvement in the importation of fake malaria drugs (Maloxine and Amalar tablets) worth N32.1million.” The fake products were produced in China but labelled “Made in India,†according to NAFDAC. … Continue reading Guarding malaria drug quality in Nigeria – from port to store
Can quick wins become quick losses?
A World AIDS Day approaches people in the field are giving a critical look at efforts to scale up ART. Jeremiah Norris in the Daily Times of Malawi raises the question of drug quality in the push for achieving widespread HIV/AIDS treatment goals. Could these same problems surface in the desire to scale up for… Continue reading Can quick wins become quick losses?