Abstract
The change in policy guidelines for treating uncomplicated malaria became necessary because the therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine and SP had deteriorated. Hence compliance is a necessity to enable effective check on malaria. This work was carried out to evaluate antimalaria drug prescription and to update its usage in line with WHO guideline on Artemeter Combination therapy in a university based medical center. We utilized descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study of antimalaria prescriptions purposely carried out among male and female outpatients with mean age of 22.4±2.8 at a University health facility. This comprised all outpatients prescriptions that contained at least one antimalarial drug filed from October 2018 to September 2019. Systematic sampling was used to select the prescriptions. Based on the total number of 1250 prescriptions containing at least one antimalarial drug, a sampling interval of 5 was calculated and simple balloting was used for the first pick. A total number of two hundred and fifty (250) prescriptions containing at least one antimalarial drug were selected for the study. Out of 250 antimalaria prescriptions, usage of ACT class of Artemeter lumefantrine, Artemeter Amodiaquine and Artemeter Piparaqiune were recorded at 45.6%, 10.4% and 9.6% respectively. Triple combination Artemeter lumefantrine and Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine was recorded at 20.4% while Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine was recorded at 4%. Combination of antimalarial drugs with antibiotics was recorded at 31.2%. This study showed compliance with National Antimalarial Treatment Guideline for the treatment of malaria infection as it regards the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy. The frequency usage of artemeter lumefantrine was proceeding among other ACTs. The frequency in co-prescription of antibiotics with anti-malaria should be guarded to comply with WHO recommendation.
Highlights
Half the world's population, about 3.4 billion people in 92 countries are at risk of being infected with malaria and developing disease, and 1.1 billion are at high risk (>1 in 1000 chance of getting malaria in a year)
This study showed compliance with National Antimalarial Treatment Guideline for the treatment of malaria infection as it regards the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy
Out of the 250 prescriptions, some of the essential drugs co-prescribed with antimalaria drugs include antibiotics, vitamin c, paracetamol, Multivitamins, diclofenac and piriton
Summary
Half the world's population, about 3.4 billion people in 92 countries are at risk of being infected with malaria and developing disease, and 1.1 billion are at high risk (>1 in 1000 chance of getting malaria in a year). According to the World Malaria Report 2018, there were 219 million cases of malaria globally in 2017 (uncertainty range 203–262 million) and 435 000 malaria deaths, representing a decrease in malaria cases and deaths rates of 18% and 28% since 2010, respectively. The burden was heaviest in the World Health organization (WHO) African Region, where an estimated 93% of all malaria deaths occurred and indicating increased burden of malaria in African region since 2010. Children aged less than 5 years, accounted for 61% of all deaths [1]. Increasing resistance of the parasite to currently available drugs has created an urgent need to discover new treatments [2]. Mosquitoes are found around the globe, Corresponding author: Michael Chukwudi Ezeani Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria
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