Published Date: 1999-07-19 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Kenya
Archive Number: 19990719.1213
MALARIA, CHLOROQUINE RESISTANT - KENYA
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A ProMED-mail post
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See Also
Malaria, drug resistant - Africa: overview 990320213735Malaria, quinine resistance - Kenya: RFI 990528222113
Malaria, quinine resistance - Kenya (02) 990604110356
Malaria, vivax, resistant - India (Mumbai) 990316154309
Malaria, vivax, resistant - Indonesia (Kalimantan) 990127092226
Malaria, vivax, resistant - Indonesia(Kalimantan)(02)
990131001537
Date: Sat 17 Jul 1999
From: "Marjorie P. Pollack, MD" <pmm-mpp@mindspring.com>
Source: PANA, Sat 17 Jul 1999 [edited
Kenya Bans Use Of Chloroquine
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The Kenyan government has banned the use of the anti-malaria
drug chloroquine in western Kenya, saying the drug had proved
ineffective to combat the tropical disease which has so far claimed
over 270 lives in Kisii district alone.
As replacements, the ministry instead recommended quinine and fansidar
drugs to combat the disease.
The ban, which takes immediate effect, was announced by the assistant
health minister, Basil Criticos on Friday when he addressed medics
at the Moi University teaching and referral hospital in Eldoret, about 300
km north-west of Nairobi.
He said the number of malaria cases in Uasin-Gishu and Kisii districts had
reached alarming proportions and urged the communities in the two areas to
seek immediate medication whenever they detected malaria symptoms.
A total of 93 deaths have occurred at Moi hospital in Eldoret from malaria
within the last one and a half months, the deputy minister disclosed,
adding that children were the most hit as 27 of them were being admitted at
the hospital daily.
The hospital's deputy director, Dr. Philip Parklea, attributed the number
of dead to partial treatment given outside the hospital and delay in
patients to seek treatment.
He said the hospital will require 15 000 fansidar and 10 000 quinine
injections monthly to combat the disease.
The hospital received 4106 patients in June and 1670 in July
suffering from malaria. However, the number had dropped
drastically after launching anti-malaria campaigns in the area using
medical teams, Parklea said.
The hospital was currently receiving 30-40 malaria patients daily, compared
with 200 patients daily a few months ago.
Another medic, Dr. Nyamongo, who had accompanied the deputy
minister, said 80 percent of the patients had proved resistant to
chloroquine, which had proved incapable of fighting the highland
malaria strain of the disease.
He said the highland strain was spreading to other parts of the country and
called for concerted efforts to curb the spread.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@usa.healthnet.org>
[This is the first country to ban the use of chloroquine. Given a reported
chloroquine resistance rate of 80% there is no indication for the use of
chloroquine prophylaxis for travelers to Kenya. The handwriting has been on
the wall for some time now -- MPP
[We break our policy of not reporting on malaria to post this
important item. The recommendations above are for treatment.
For prophylaxis, WHO recommends mefloquine for travelers to
Kenya & residents there - Mod.JW
...........................................jw
--
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