Improper use of Chloroquine, a reason for its inefficacy-Nurse

Botodwina (W/R), July 13, GNA - Madam Juliana Davies, a Community Health Nurse has said that the improper uses of chloroquine could account for the low curative effect of the drug for the treatment of malaria.

She said while some persons used the drug at their own convenience, others refused to complete the total dosage.

Madam Davies said these at Botodwina in the Mpohor Wassa East District of the Western Region over the weekend, as part of the Global Fund for Malaria Programme.

She stressed that, the chloroquine was administered to the sick, according to the age and weight of the victim and advised parents to follow this instruction to ensure effective use.

She said any delay in the treatment of malaria could result in low socio-economic development, poverty, loss of manpower through deaths and premature delivery.

Madam Davies said difficulty in breathing, low urine output and repeated vomiting, were additional symptoms of the disease.

Madam Davies appealed to persons with such symptoms to report to the nearest health facility for assistance.

Mr Mike Wilson Acquah, District Disease Control Officer, said the life cycle of the mosquito could be broken if stagnant pools of water were allowed to drain away.

He said the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) had been identified as one of the effective means of controlling malaria, adding that pregnant women and children under five years, must use ITNs at all times to reduce their exposure to the disease.

Dr Kwaku Anin Karikari, District Director of Health Services said the Global Fund for Malaria Programme began on July 1, 2003 and would be completed in June 2005.

Dr. Karikari said Mpohor Wassa East, Aowin Suaman and Ahanta West in the Western Region, were among 17 other districts nationwide that would benefit from the programme.

He said the population of the district, which stood at 139,057, had 73,029 males and 66,028 females.

Dr Karikari hinted that the programme was meant to provide intermittent preventive treatment to 60 per cent of pregnant women in the district by 2007, while the use of ITN would also be increased to 55 per cent among children and 45 per cent among pregnant women by the same year.

He hinted that the late release of funds to the district had delayed the activities, which were supposed to have started between April and June this year.

He said the district had started its mobile van mass education on malaria, a weekly radio programme and durbars on the use of ITN among others.

Dr Karikari however, expressed regret that the baseline information needed for the evaluation of malaria control programme in the district was not available.

Among the areas visited by the mobile van mass educational team on malaria included Botodwina, Atobiase, Daboase, Atieku, Mpohor, Dompim, Edaa, Adansi, Mampong and Krofofrom.