Larkana asked to share malaria tablets

Malaria Control Programme complains stock due to expire in October.

KARACHI:

The programme to control malaria in Sindh has asked Larkana to share its stock of soon-to expire Primaquine tablets to ensure they are sent to districts where they are needed most.

“We have learnt that these tablets would expire in October,” said Dr Nahid Jamali, who is the director of the Malaria Control Programme in Hyderabad. “We have demanded a share to treat malaria patients in other districts.”

The tablets were donated by the World Health Organisation but because of some red-tape glitch were directly supplied to Executive District Officers of Health in some districts instead of being handed over to the Sindh Malaria Control Programme to distribute.

Sources in the health department of Larkana said that the EDO Health has received a letter from the programme’s Hyderabad office, requesting a share from its 25,000 tablets provided directly to them.

Dr Jamali confirmed the report and told PPI that the WHO had donated the tablets that were purchased from India and China but were directly dispatched to some districts.

“These tablets are not available in Pakistan despite the fact that they are used in the early treatment of malaria and prevent it from re-emerging,” she said.

Over 6,000 malaria cases were reported in Sindh from January 1 to May 20 this year with four districts — Thatta, Khairpur, Dadu and Tharparkar — most affected. The numbers have doubled from 25,000 in 2009 to 57,000 cases in 2010.

The Sindh Malaria Control Programme, launched in 1960, has set up 360 microscopy centres, including 118 Rapid Diagnostic Test Centres in Sindh, and has planned to increase their number to 440.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2011.