Boost for anti-malaria efforts in remote province
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations]
BANGUI, 22 Sep 2004 (IRIN) - Medecins Sans Frontieres
(MSF)
and the Central African Republic (CAR) have embarked on a two-year project to
provide low cost malaria treatment in the remote eastern province of Haut Mbomou,
boosting countrywide efforts to fight the killer disease.
"Now we have [the] necessary means to fight malaria in Haut Mbomou,"
Dr Daniel-Florent Dignito, the head of medical services in the province, told
IRIN on Tuesday. "The new low cost treatment of malaria in Haut Mbomou is
aimed at assisting the deprived population."
Blood to be transfused to patients in cases of complicated malaria is routinely
screened for HIV/AIDS. "[Therefore] in fighting malaria, we are also
fighting HIV/AIDS in a preventive way," Dignito said.
He further stated the Haut Mbomou project began on 16 September following an
agreement on 3 August between MSF and the Ministry of Health for the
implementation of the €1.2-million (US $1.48-million) project.
Roads in Haut Mbomou are in poor condition. The province was totally cut off
from the capital, Bangui, during the October 2002-March 2003 rebellion led by
Gen Francois Bozize, the then chief of staff of the armed forces. The prolonged
lack of supplies of basic foodstuffs and first aid drugs to the province
worsened the public's health condition. Bozize seized power from President Ange-Felix
Patasse on 15 March 2003, ending the isolation.
Currently, the few shops open in trading areas in Haut Mbomou do not sell bed
nets, while the insecticides on sale are too expensive for the mainly
impoverished population.
Tens of thousands of the nation's 3.2-million people suffer from malaria, most
of them children and pregnant women. Most of the children hospitalised for
malaria also suffer from anaemia.
According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) 2004 World Report on Human
Development, some 2,207 people out of every 100,000 people in the CAR suffer
from malaria and only 2 percent of children aged under five years sleep under
bed nets impregnated with insecticides.
The Health Ministry and MSF conducted a joint study in Haut Mbomou in July,
which revealed that 96 people were hospitalised in health centres that month. Of
these, 46 were children aged five years or younger and 78.2 percent of these
children were suffering from malaria. The malaria mortality rate in the province
was found to be 13 percent.
The latest MSF campaign in Haut Mbomou is also being used to introduce new
anti-malaria treatment.
"Arthemether and Lumefantrine are being administered to children [weighing]
above 10 kg and Artesunate and Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethanin to children [weighing]
under 10 kg," Dignito said. He added that in cases of complicated forms of
malaria, quinine diluted in glucose should be administered.
During the two-year programme, patients will pay a "package deal" fee
equivalent to 40 US cents for children aged up to 15 years and 80 US cents for
adults.
"The package deal fees comprise consultation and laboratory tests,"
Dignito told IRIN. He added that these "token" fees also include
hospitalisation and blood transfusion in case of severe malaria.
During the project, a study will also be conducted to determine the
effectiveness and tolerance level of Arthemether by-products in CAR.
The Health Ministry, MSF and the UN World Health Organization are also trying to
stamp out sleeping sickness in Haut Mbomou. A new treatment against the disease
was introduced there in July. Patients are getting free treatment under this
programme.
The new sleeping sickness drug, Eflornithine, was introduced after patients
developed resistance to Melarsopol, the drug that had previously been used.
Eflornithine is an arsenic by-product.
MSF said that Melarsopol had "harmful" side effects on patients, with
a risk of death in 5 percent of those using it.
In addition to these health interventions, MSF is involved in the rehabilitation
of health infrastructure in Haut Mbomou.
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