Nigerian markets are still flooded with anti-malaria drugs such as Chloroquine, Artesunate, Sulphadoxine pyremethamine among others, two years after they were banned by World Health Organization (WHO) for being used for the treatment of malaria.

The global health agency had in 2011 banned the drugs from being prescribed for the treatment of the disease “in order to delay or prevent the development of drug resistance malaria”.

WHO says treatments that use only artemisin need to be taken for seven days to kill all parasites, but, according to the agency, patients often stop treatment after a few days when they begin to feel much better. This, it stresses, leaves the remaining parasites in contact with low levels of the drug – a recipe for resistance. Hence, it recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs) which are to be taken within three days.

Conveying the message to journalists in Lagos, former WHO Country Representative, Dr David Okello said: “WHO has recommended the ban of the production, importation and prescription of artemisinin monotherapies. It has also launched a global plan to contain or control the spread of arteminsinin-resistant malaria. There is no place for the use of Chloroquine and sulphadoxine pyremethamino in the treatment of malaria in Nigeria. Artesunate alone cannot treat malaria. Sulphadoxine pyremethamine are no longer recommended in the treatment of malaria.”

National Mirror investigations revealed that some or all of these drugs are still on sale in virtually every chemist shop across the country and are taken by Nigerians who are affected by malaria, even as over 97 of the country’s population, according to the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, are at risk of having malaria.
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/chloroquine-artesunate-others-thrive-in-nigeria-2-years-after-who-ban/

Those medicines are still very much available in chemists, sold without prescription too. God help us in this country.

dominique: Those medicines are still very much available in chemists, sold without prescription too. God help us in this country.

did u say chemists

some qualified doctors still prescribe it in hospitals, they say it's cheap and readily available!!!

naija I hail thee!!!

very nice information... mods front page ooo

Lagusta:

did u say chemists

some qualified doctors still prescribe it in hospitals, they say it's cheap and readily available!!!

naija I hail thee!!!

Chemists, pharmacies, roadside kiosks all join. Its disturbing how banned drugs are still readily available. Novalgin sold for years after it was banned. Shame

nce topic

I wonder what role Nafdac is supposed to play in our health system?

was at a friend's chemist and was shocked to see chloroquine abi wetin dem dey call am... i remember asking him if dem neva ban dis medicini and d guy jos look me like say i be wall

coldgate: I wonder what role Nafdac is supposed to play in our health system?

. Don't mind dose nafdac pple dem dey do eye service wella

Sulphadoxine pyremethamine is good against malaria atleast the gentleman should educate us on why we should not take it, but na wa oh, how did we come to know of this 2 years laters? Abi na nollywood 2 years later be this?

I think those that need to be blamed are the custom people. Are these products made in Nigeria??

If imported and the sellers could bribe their way through, there's little NAFDAC can do than make adverts and let its citizens know that these drugs are potentially harmful to their health




Shollypopz
A vote for intellignce is a vote for Ekwah

I don't blame WHO....since they don't have Malaria in their countries, why won't they come and be banning rubbish? And trust Nairalanders; since na White man's law....no need for questions, they are always right . but when a Nigerian organization makes a much more reasonable law, they rain curses. Mtcheew

Now on to my points why I think this is the most stupiid ban ever!
1.The reason given doesn't warrant that the drug be banned!: 'People don't complete their doses thereby can create resistance breeds' blah blah blah..... and the next thing you do is to ban? Whatever happened to Hospitals sensitizing their patients on how important it is to complete their doses? Sorry WHO, but if na the same Nigerians I know; The fact that they don't complete 7-day Chloroquine doses translates to: 'Your 3-day dose ACTs Alternative will be taken for just one day!'

2. WHO might mean 'World whatever' but can't dictate to us 'what works for us' or 'doesn't'!: Yea...that's what it is. And thank God NAFDAC didn't even bother to enforce their nonsensical ban! I thought only 'irredeemably harmful' drug are meant to be banned? These drugs are not even 'harmful' (in the real sense of it) to start with. Most medical personnel I've asked think the ban is unnecessary. Besides, have they finished banning Genetically Modified Foods in their countries? That they are banning harmless drugs in Africa? Yeye people.

3. Chloroquine still remains one of the best cures for Malaria: Yea...someone like me for example; that 'ACTs alternative' provided doesn't cure me (I don't know why). How did I know this? During the time it was banned and Choroquine etc were taken off Pharmacy stores, I had malaria. one those ACTs was prescribed for me. I used the complete dose, yet no changes. The Hospital had to later prescribe Chloroquine for me. Infact, I was unable to get it in big pharmacy stores (cos I don't like Chemists; i fear fake drugs ). I had to report back to the hospital and they were able to dust out one for me from their 'Archive' . <--------I guess the ban is not enforced in Nigeria cos of people like me.

Eh! Most people still dey eat Chloroquine & Artesunate o!
_________________
Last Bullet: Make we dey spread the news o! Even Doctors & Pharmacists still prescribe these drugs.
Bullet:Blood of Man!

na wa o. but this were the drugs i was using when i had malaria in Nigeria and it was very good.

News like this makes one wish Dora Akunyili is still in NAFDAC, watch as govt agencies will start trading blames on who allows it into the country.

I have malaria, what medicine should I use

I dont think artesunate monotherapy is still in use in Nigeria. That artesunate is sold does not mean its used without combination. Patients should endeavour to get their medicaments from a registered pharmacists so as to ensure that necessary information is given to him on the use of the drug product.

Hmmm na wao if not for now that am reading this I never knew those drugs were baned bfore! And the last time I checked all these drugs re still everywere..if they want to ban sometin next time they should let people be aware of it na...

The best approach to this is for each and everyone of us to go and tell all pharmacy in our areas that the Nafdac people are seriously arresting people who still sells these drugs and fabricate serious lies that will make dem fear. You will see that within 24 hours all those drugs would be buried by same pharmacists.
May God help us in this Gods own country. Amen

make una d talk wetin una no sabi.

Artesuinate in combination wt sulfadoxine/pyrimetamine (SP) is far better in treating malaria dan the WHO recommended artemeter/lumefantrine......


Find out from doctors, treating malaria is not coming here to talk on nairaland.

.._____________________________________________

What really is d matter wit this country? An issue as important as this not getting wide media attention nationwide .... Imagine the drugs were banned 2 years ago? OMG!!!

See Gobe I just came back from a Teaching Hospital not too long ago and they prescribed artesunate for me oo...I don drink two tablets inside sef!!!......Help! Help!! Help!!!

Ha! chloroquin, dis melecin suffer me no be small wen i bin dey school. Na so so to dey scratch body and i no go baff for like 3 days. Thank God for my life today as i no dey need am again. But sincerely, it is an effective drug. Dem no born d parasite well. As per their availability after ban, I'm not surprised. Nigeria don't take policies seriously. We only make policies, we don't implement them.

Hmmmmmmmm, so sad after how many pple go don die because of d rubbish drug

more awareness pls

coldgate: I wonder what role Nafdac is supposed to play in our health system?

I wonder all this confusion. Am just hearing it for the 1st time that Artesunate is a banned drug. Do you know I take it virtually every three weeks, and there is no pharmacy that doesnt have it.

Dancing ALINGO..wetin dis chloroquine do me eeehh.........

Not all antimalarial drugs have been banned. People should endeavour to read well before commenting. WHO recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs) which are to be taken within three days because only Artesunate antimalarial drugs tend to be more active and patients dont usually complete their doses when they begin to feel a bit relieved. Thereby forming a specie of the drug resisting malaria parasites.
If you have malaria, Go for drugs that are ACTs and complete your therapy #datsall.

I don't blame WHO....since they don't have Malaria in their countries, why won't they come and be banning rubbish? And trust Nairalanders; since na White man's law....no need for questions, they are always right . but when a Nigerian organization makes a much more reasonable law, they rain curses. Mtcheew

Now on to my points why I think this is the most stupiid ban ever!
1.The reason given doesn't warrant that the drug be banned!: 'People don't complete their doses thereby can create resistance breeds' blah blah blah..... and the next thing you do is to ban? Whatever happened to Hospitals sensitizing their patients on how important it is to complete their doses? Sorry WHO, but if na the same Nigerians I know; The fact that they don't complete 7-day Chloroquine doses translates to: 'Your 3-day dose ACTs Alternative will be taken for just one day!'

2. WHO might mean 'World whatever' but can't dictate to us 'what works for us' or 'doesn't'!: Yea...that's what it is. And thank God NAFDAC didn't even bother to enforce their nonsensical ban! I thought only 'irredeemably harmful' drug are meant to be banned? These drugs are not even 'harmful' (in the real sense of it) to start with. Most medical personnel I've asked think the ban is unnecessary. Besides, have they finished banning Genetically Modified Foods in their countries? That they are banning harmless drugs in Africa? Yeye people.

3. Chloroquine still remains one of the best cures for Malaria: Yea...someone like me for example; that 'ACTs alternative' provided doesn't cure me (I don't know why). How do I know this? During the time it was banned and Choroquine etc were taken off Pharmacy stores, I had malaria. one those ACTs was prescribed for me. I used the complete dose, yet no changes. The Hospital had to later prescribe Chloroquine for me. Infact, I was unable to get it in big pharmacy stores (cos I don't like Chemists; i fear fake drugs ). I had to report back to the hospital and they were able to dust out one for me from their 'Archive' . <--------I guess the ban is not enforced in Nigeria cos of people like me.

I'm confused actually. how can sulphadoxine pyrimethamine be banned. isn't it the gold standard for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy? IPT?? ofcos it shouldnt be used alone for malaria treatment but to say it has been banned, I don't agree. Artesunate mono therapy ofcos is very wrong but its not like you can't use it with amodiaquine or SP.

edit: I av added a screenshot of the rollbackmalaria website which shows that artesunate + S/P is one of the recommended ACTs