Proper management of sickness is a cost effective
health intervention strategy, which according to WHO, has been estimated to
have a large positive impact on the global burden of disease in the developing
world.
In modern times, managing malaria could mean
treating the infection using anti-malarial drugs. A number of measures should
be applied in the management of malaria. In Nigeria, there is no adequate
information on studies of the malaria management of the
people. However,
various anti-malarial abound both local and scientific preparations, are used
by people to combat malaria.
PREVENTION/CONTROL
Prevention may be carried out either by attacking
the victor and the parasite or by giving the patient prophylactic drugs. Victor
control effectiveness has declined in recent years due to lack of personnel
mass population and other factors (Zucker Jr.1992).
The possible way of attacking the vector is by
environmental modification, use of insecticides treated nets and use of
insecticides which includes orgaanochloride (they are environment stable and
non poisonous). Carbamate (no poison and less toxic), ryrethrods and
organnophoshate (non poisonous but not as stable in environment as
organochloride ethrods are from natural sources. i.e from plants. They are the
safest of all and least resistance and it is used in most insecticides. It is
also used in nets. It’s disadvantage is that It is highly unstable in sunlight.
However, in attacking the parasite is by home
management of malaria strategy. This strategy of home management of malaria
(HMM) aims to improve the ineffective of medication practices that are very
common in malaria-endemic countries. It’s overall goal is the early recognition
and prompt, and appropriate response to malaria illness especially in children
under five (5) years of age, in the home or community. It empowers communities
to respond to malaria illness using effective, good-quality anti-malaria
medicines (WHO, 2005a). The anti-malaria medicines used for HMM usually come in
the from of pre-packaged drug.
There are several considerations when presenting
Chemopeophylatic drugs such species of parasite and parasite transmission intensify
in the specific area. It is very hard to advise proplylactic drugs for south Asia to the high level of resistance there (Bradley,
1994).
Malaria control in Nigeria is based almost exclusively
on chemotherapy, mainly with chlorioguine, the cheapest anti-malaria drugs. The
control of falciparum malaria is becoming increasing challenging in many
endemic areas of the world including Nigeria, not only because plasmodium
falciparum has developed resistance to commonly used anti-malaria drugs, but
also due to individual and house hold drugs use pattern. In West Africa
including Nigeria,
chloroquine resistance is firmly established. Alternative drugs like amodiquine
and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine were being used in other parts of Africa. However many Africa
countries are seeking evidence to change from even these alternatives to
perhaps combination therapies. Chloroquine was the official first line
antimalarial drug in Nigeria
until February 2005, when the Federal Ministry of Health announced the change
to artemisinin (Cotexcin and artemisinin combination therapies.
RELATED INFORMATION