Pharm. Sam Ohuabunwa, President, Pharmaceutical
Society of Nigeria, has called on the Federal Ministry of Health and policy
makers to strengthen National Malaria Surveillance by incorporating reports
from pharmacists operating in community
settings.
Making the call, Ohuabunwa noted that evidence
currently show that most patients visits their community pharmacists first when
they first suspect malaria.
“Therefore, health data reports from community
pharmacists will improve data quality and resulting intervention,” he stressed.
Ohuabunwa who spoke at a press briefing to mark
the World Malaria Day celebrated on April 26, 2019 whose theme is “Zero malaria
starts with me,” noted that pharmacists play important roles in the management
of malaria cases.
Ohuabunwa said that pharmacists are appropriately
positioned in government, health value chain and in our communities to help
achieve elimination of malaria.
He said that pharmacists play three roles in the
fight for zero malaria – prevention, case management and policy advocacy.
“Pharmacy also advises you on the use of long
lasting insecticide treated mosquito net and the use of tropical mosquito
repellant. They talk to you about new device that can repel mosquitoes, counsel
on general environment and lead charge to raise awareness about malaria,” he
said.
The PSN president informed that Nigerian
pharmacists in research are also working on malaria vaccine.
In the management of malaria cases, Ohuabunwa said
that the pharmacists are actively involved in detecting suspected cases of
malaria, provide rapid diagnostic tests to confirm malaria, provide appropriate
pharmacotherapy using arthemisin in combination therapy in all positive cases.
“Pharmacists are involved in the referral
processes where on initial presentation features of complicated malaria are
already present, they are also actively involved in all value chain including
discovery, synthesis, regulations, manufacturing, logistics and policy making
related to anti-malaria medicines.
“These ensure that the most effective medicines
are available for all Nigerians wherever they may live. Pharmacists collaborate
with communities in which they are resident to improve awareness of
environmental sanitation.
“They also collaborate with other health care
providers to improve patient’s outcome and reduce incidents of complications
and prevent parasite resistance. Pharmacist also works with policy makers to
ensure adequate funding of malaria programme so that all Nigerian can have
access to appropriate treatment,” he said.
He said that World Malaria Day was an opportunity
for the country to evaluate her malaria
elimination programme efforts.
He then called on Nigerians to take action to
eliminate malaria by cleaning their environment, get rid of stagnant water and
pools, cover up gutters in residential areas and ensure that the garden is not
grown.
The PSN president explained that interrupting at
least three mosquito life cycles, required a concerted effort to achieve and
called on the local council development authorities to coordinate and implement
an environmental policy to achieve this.
He also called on other health professionals to
develop quick and effective efforts to save lives especially among risk
populations, children under five and pregnant women.
According to WHO 2018 report on malaria, in 2017
there were estimates 453,000 deaths from malaria globally compared with 451,000
estimate deaths in 2016 and 607,000 in 2010.
“Children aged less than five years are the most
vulnerable group affected by malaria. In 2016, they accounted for 61 per cent
(266,000) of all malaria deaths worldwide.
“The WHO Africa region accounted for 93per cent of
all malaria deaths in 2017, although the WHO Africa region was home to the
highest number of malaria deaths in 2017, it also accounted for 88per cent of
the 172,000 fewer global malaria death reports in 2017 compared with 2010.”
The report said nearly 80per cent of global
malaria deaths in 2017 were concentrated in 17 countries in the WHO African
region and India. Seven of these countries accounted for 53 per cent of all
global malaria deaths: Nigeria (19 per cent), Democratic Republic of Congo
(11per cent), Burkina Faso (six per cent), United Republic of Tanzania (5 per
cent), Sierra Leone (four per cent), Niger (four per cent), and India
(four per cent).
It said all WHO regions except the WHO region of
America recorded reduction in mortality in 2017 compared with 2010. The largest decline occurred in the WHO
region of South East Asia (54per cent), Africa (40 per cent), and Eastern
Mediterranean (10 per cent).
Despite these gains, the malaria mortality
reduction rate as also slowed since 2015, reflecting the estimated trends on
malaria case incidence, the PSN boss said.
