NAFDAC set to curb importation of fake drugs

Segun Majekodunmi
with agency reports

The National Food Drug Administration Control Agency (NAFDAC) and other key regulatory agencies, have disclosed that they are poised to take sterner measures to curb the influx of fake contaminated drugs and imported foodstuffs into the country.

Over the years, the regulatory agencies have been on top of their watch to tackle the tendencies that could make Nigeria a 'dumping zone' for expired drugs in which malaria drugs are not left out.

Living with malaria in Nigeria has been a serious life-threatening disease which is caused by a parasite, transmitted by the bite of infected anopheles mosquitoes. Infected mosquitoes transport the Plasmodium parasite. When the infected mosquito bites its victim, the parasite gets released into the human bloodstream.

Malaria Vaccines Market: We’re entering an era

The global malaria vaccines market is expected to be valued at US$ 8.5 million in 2018 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 102.8% during the forecast period (2018 – 2024).

Nearly half of the global population is at risk of malaria as per stats released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This in turn has led to increased inclination of various healthcare agencies towards addressing this major malady. Global non-profit organizations such as the Melinda Gates Foundation and PATH are working towards developing preventive measures and saving lives of many in the malaria affected regions.

Africa accounts for the largest number of malaria cases and hence, this region is the primary target of launching the first malaria vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline plc. Mosquirix received EU approval in 2015 and is presently being examined in Africa as a pilot study.

Centre wants NAFDAC to monitor markets for fake malaria test kit

A research centre, African Networks for Drugs and Diagnostic Innovation (ANDI), has urged NAFDAC to ensure that fake Rapid Diagnostics Test (RDTs) kits for malaria  are not sold in Nigerian markets.

Prof. Wellington Oyibo, a Consultant Medical Parasitologist at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) assist in the diagnosis of malaria by providing evidence of the presence of malaria parasites in human blood.

He said, “ NAFDAC has to do more of regulation so that the wrong RDTs do not find their ways into the markets.

“Despite that patients and healthcare givers still find it hard to accept these kits; it will not be nice to allow the fake kits get into the markets.

“The agency must find a way to ensure that those who want to do business; do it with the right kind of RDTs. There should be no low performing test kits in our markets.

“For people to believe in this test, we need to do more in terms of ensuring that there is quality assurance, training, funding and strong advocacy,’’ Oyibo said.

The ANDI principal investigator expressed concern about the perception of health workers to the test kits.

He alleged that their perception about the kits had caused most patients not to believe in its efficacy.

He urged medical facilities across the country to ensure that government’s policy of `compulsory testing and diagnoses before treating’ were operational.

Oyibo said that doctors should ensure that patients that had lodged complaints about malaria are tested with the RDTs.

He advised medical personnel to ensure that before the kits get into the markets, they followed due process.

According to him, the way Nigerians think is what has made the social disease to still be with us.

He called for the training of healthcare givers and the strengthening of work ethics.

“When this is done, people will have the right attitude to work and proper communication will be given to patients on the need to do a test before commencing treatment,” he said.

ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis  provides the platform for Malaria Microscopy quality assurance and Malaria RDT quality assurance through lots of testing with time.

The centre is officially designated as a World Health Organisation (WHO) facility for Malaria Rapid Diagnostic test.

It also carries out research findings in malaria, malaria case management, diagnostics and treatment, and on diagnostic implementation.

It has the capacity to provide valuable research, development and training in the West African Sub-region.

The centre has close working collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme and other Malaria programme implementers such as the Society for Family Health, DFID/Malaria, Consortium/SunMAP and USAID. (NAN)

156 local governments to benefit from UK malaria intervention project

In a move to reduce Nigeria’s high malaria burden, the Department for International Development (DFID) is to invest £50 million (N23.376 billion) to support fund for malaria elimination in six states of the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of Malaria Consortium, Mr. Charles Nelson at the Start-up meeting and launch of support to National Malaria Programme-phase (SuNMaP 2) said that one hundred and sixty five local government areas in the six states  Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, and Yobe will benefit

Kenya calls for a United African response to fight Malaria

Segun Majekodunmi
An East African country Kenya has called on Sub Saharan African (SSA) to step up surveillance on malaria drug resistance in the region.

The principal investigator of malaria at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Ben Andagalu said that the countries should offer oversight on quality of malaria drugs coming into the countries.

“The procurement of malaria drugs needs to be procured by a centralized agency to help save populations from accessing outdated medicine,” He told the annual scientific and health conference in Nairobi.

Pupils trained on eradicating malaria

The world has spent decades fighting to eradicate malaria, and has formally committed to doing so by 2030. But despite the remarkable progress that has been made, the emergence of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and drug-resistant strains of the disease itself show that much work remains to be done.

How malaria dealt me severe blows

I live in the rural part of Lagos with all sorts of hosting site for mosquitoes around our house.

You'd see bushes, stagnant water and blocked drainage system.

Within my house, we are always conscious of getting infected. So, we take all sorts of preventive measures like sleeping under the long lasting insects treated net, fully covered up and other necessities.

For me, it all started with a long day at work. I was really stressed out.

And when I got home, I just fell on my bed to sleep. I was just too stressed to hang the net.

My nonchalant attitude went on for two days. Then, I began to feel the rhythmical pounding of yam in a mortar on the right part of my head.

Toothpaste protects against malaria

A recent research suggests that triclosan, an ingredient found in toothpaste, could be developed to fight drug-resistant strains of malaria.

What is Triclosan?

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent found in some consumer products, including toothpaste, soaps, detergents, toys, and surgical cleaning treatments.

Male birth control for the malaria parasite

A Male Mosquito

Disrupting two genes involved in the preservation of RNA molecules inhibits the ability of the male form of the malaria parasite to mature and be transmitted from human blood into mosquitoes, interrupting a key stage in the parasite's life-cycle and cutting off an important step in the spread of the disease. Researchers at Penn State and the University of South Florida have identified a complex of proteins encoded by these genes that is crucial for the maturation of the male form—or gametocyte—of the Plasmodium parasite responsible for malaria; developing methods to target this complex with antimalarial drugs could lead to a new weapon in the fight against the disease. A paper describing the research appears January 31, 2019 in the journal PLOS Pathogens

‘Diet drugs’ suppress mosquitoes’ thirst for blood

A hungry mosquito is at best a nuisance; at worst, it is a transmitter of deadly diseases.

Now, researchers have discovered a way to stop mosquitoes biting — by using human ‘diet’ drugs to trick them into feeling full. The scientists suggest that the drugs could one day be used to control the spread of diseases. Their results are reported in Cell on 7 February1.

“It’s an excellent study,” says Clare Strode, a mosquito biologist at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, UK. There’s a long way to go before the method can be used in the wild, she says, but “as a proof of principle, it’s very promising”.

Chimamanda: Blame malaria for my poor grasp of mathematics

Chimamanda Adichie, distinguished Nigerian writer and literary icon, says malaria is to blame for her poor grasp of mathematics, highlighting how the mosquito-borne infectious disease keeps children out of school across the world.
Speaking at the Malaria Summit in London, holding on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2018), Adichie shared her experience with malaria, and how it affected her education and that of family and friends.
“My malaria always came with an unbearable rumbling and aching feeling that I can only describe as anguish with my stomach. It left me light-headed, weak, nauseous, helpless,” she said.

Have you heard of Cerebral Malaria & How is it Treated?

What is Cerebral Malaria?

Cerebral Malaria is an acute medical condition that affects the brain and mental state of the infected person. The cause of cerebral malaria is an infection of Plasmodium falciparum virus, which is spread through mosquitoes. The symptoms of cerebral malaria are specific to the condition and can quickly get complicated, which can prove to be fatal in some serious cases. Treatment guidelines of cerebral malaria need to focus on the possible brain damage and the symptoms of cerebral malaria, which include conjugate gaze palsy, nystagmus, seizures, opisthotonus and coma .

5 Parasites that Causes Malaria and how it Spread

Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. The parasite can be spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

There are many different types of plasmodium parasite, but only 5 types cause malaria in humans.

©GETTY

These are:

•Plasmodium falciparum – mainly found in Africa, it's the most common type of malaria parasite and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide

Gene Mutant Mosquitoes: The only way to wipe out Malaria?

© Shutterstock

The villagers of Bana in Burkina Faso survive by working the land. Yet recently they have been paid to sit still for six hours while a fellow villager hovers close by on the look out for mosquitoes. When one lands on their neighbour they catch it, alive and intact, before it bites and then hand it over to researchers.

This is one small stage in a painstakingly slow process of research into the local mosquito population, led by scientists at Imperial College, London.

They hope that one day Burkina Faso will be the testbed for a technology that many hope will lead to the eradication of malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that is the biggest killer of children under five in Africa.
The researchers have developed a genetically-modified mosquito in their laboratory that can kill off its own species by spreading a faulty gene.

What You Should Know About Malaria

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2013, more than 198 million people were infected with malaria and an estimated 584,000 died as a result of it. Nearly 4 out of 5 casualties were children under five years of age. The disease presents a threat in about a hundred countries and territories throughout the world, putting some 3.2 billion people at risk.

Precautions to take when Travelling to a Malaria Affected area

There's a significant risk of getting malaria if you travel to an affected area. It's very important you take precautions to prevent the disease.

Malaria can often be avoided using the ABCD approach to prevention, which stands for:

•Awareness of risk – find out whether you're at risk of getting malaria.