Solomons receiving outdated malaria treatment
Updated
There are concerns that an out-dated malaria treatment is still being used in Solomon Islands. The World Health Organisation says the drug in use should be replaced by a newer drug which has been reinforced with a better combination of ingredients. It says that if people are not treated with the new combined medication, the malaria parasite will become resistant to all treatment.
Presenter: Kate McPherson
Speaker: Julie Zinihite, Principal Pharmacist at National Referral Hospital in Solomon Islands; Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, malaria expert, World Health Organisation in Honiara
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MCPHERSON: People in Solomon Islands who contract malaria should be given a medicine which contains two antimalarial drugs. However, some private clinics are still distributing an older version of the drug, which only contains one active ingredient called Artemether. Research has found that Artemether needs to be combined with a second drug in order to be effective. Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe is a malaria expert with The World Health Organisation in Honiara. He says there is a risk that using the older medicine will cause the parasite to develop a resistance to treatment.
ABEYASINGHE: We have justifiable fears based on past experience that the isolated use of the artemisinin component alone without the combination of another antimalarial drug will cause parasites to develop resistance to this substance and render it useless.
MCPHERSON: He says there are already reports from other countries that Artemether is no longer working in the fight against malaria.
Dr Rabindra ABEYASINGHE: Already there are some initial reports of falciparum malaria in Cambodia being resistant to artemisinin, and artemisinin being the most potent component drug that we currently have to fight with malaria. The WHO has very serious reservations about its single use.
MCPHERSON: Julie Zinihite, Principal Pharmacist at National Referral Hospital in Solomon Islands says some health clinics are still distributing the older, less-effective medicine.
ZINIHITE: What we see some of those private pharmacies are selling, still giving out, is the Artemether on its own. So it's not combined with Lumefantrine. And studies have shown that Artemether on its own does not effectively treat malaria.
MCPHERSON: She says the private clinics are aware that they should be using the new drug and that it is available.
ZINIHITE: We've told the private pharmacies and the private clinics that we now have Coartem which should be the first line for malaria nationwide and we've got that available at the national medical stores. They can buy the drug from there and at a reasonable price. It's not expensive. What they have now I think they get it from overseas, it's more expensive for patient to buy but if the get the Coartem they can sell it at a lower price and it's affordable for patients.
MCPHERSON: Ms Zinihite says the treatment is free from public hospitals and clinics.
ZINIHITE: For public, for the public facilities, the government facilities, this drug is available free. It's for the private pharmacies and the private clinics that you have to buy it. I mean if you go to them you buy it. But if you come to the public hospitals and clinics it's free of charge.
MCPHERSON: Even though the number of malaria cases has decreased in Honiara City, Dr Abeyasinghe from the WHO says some parts of Solomon Islands are still high risk areas.
ABEYASINGHE: If you look at it from historical perspective we've got it under control. The rates have been dropping over the last three years but if you look at it from a Pacific context it's still very high. I mean Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates for the Pacific countries and most of this malaria is coming out of the Guadalcanal province and the Malaita province, so we are particularly concerned about reducing malaria in these two provinces and following the current guidelines.
