Published Date: 2001-06-28 23:50:00
Subject: PRO> Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Burundi
Archive Number: 20010628.1233
MALARIA, CHLOROQUINE RESISTANT - BURUNDI
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See Also
Malaria - Burundi 20010107.0055Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Tanzania 20010514.0935
2000
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Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Tanzania 20000430.0657
Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Tanzania (02) 20000706.1120
1999
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Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Kenya 19990719.1213
Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Kenya (02) 19990723.1240
Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Kenya (03) 19990725.1251
Malaria, chloroquine resistant - Kenya (04) 19990726.1264
Malaria, drug resistant - Africa: overview 19990320.0444
Date: 28 June 2001
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Africa News Service [edited
Chloroquine "No Longer Effective"
-------------------------------------------------
(UN Integrated Regional Information Network/All Africa Global Media
via
COMTEX).
Preliminary results from a World Health Organisation (WHO) study have
indicated that the popular anti-malarial drug chloroquine "is no
longer effective in Burundi," and the agency has recommended that it
no longer be used there, according to a humanitarian update from OCHA
Burundi.
Measures to prohibit importation of chloroquine have been taken by the
health ministry, it quoted WHO as saying. Studies conducted between
February and April 2001 at 6 sites within Burundi showed that the
failure rate for chloroquine varied from 48.9 percent to 93 percent,
according to the WHO. Another anti-malarial drug, Fansidar, was found
to perform better, with failure rates ranging from 13 percent to 66
percent.
However, the WHO warned that the "results present a dilemma," as a
high rate of adverse reactions to Fansidar had also been observed. The
study also observed that the number of cases of malaria had stabilised
nationwide since March, although some provinces such as Gitega and
Karuzi remained a problem.
WHO cautioned that their studies were still being finalised, and noted
that problems with the interpretation of their findings persisted.
Chloroquine cannot be used effectively in Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, or
Malawi except for certain defined areas. The WHO study noted that
while the drug artemisine had shown good results in some Asian
countries, it was uncertain whether or not it could be effective in
Burundi because treatment with the drug required certain clinical
conditions and the input of a doctor. Although WHO concluded that the
medicine may not be practical for regular use in Burundi, and
recommended a ban on the importation of artemisine derivatives before
the drug was officially approved, it noted that the Burundi health
ministry had a large stock of the drug which could be usable "in case
of a serious epidemic."
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promed.org>
[If the data are correct, Burundi becomes the fourth country in Africa
to abandon chloroquine entirely. The report does not mention the
possibility that the drugs used for the study were of poor quality,
i.e. possibly with too low a concentration of chloroquine or fansidar.
This needs to be confirmed by either quality control of the drugs used
or measurement of blood concentrations in the patients receiving
treatment. The report does not mention quinine, the drug of choice
after fansidar, but quinine would be a cheap alternative. However,
should quinine resistance develop, other cheap alternatives are
lacking. - Mod.EP
....................................mpp/ep/pg/jw
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