Catherine Falade Quotes

As at July 2016, resistance to the first –line treatment for P. falciparum malaria(Artemisinin-based combination therapies also known as (ACTs), has been confirmed in five countries of the Greater Mekong sub –region. The Greater Mekong sub-region include Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The poor masses are also affected due to ineffective and costly way of treatment, which cannot be afforded by the parents.

I call for coordinated action globally to minimise the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance to malaria and all countries need national action plans for malaria-resistant drugs.

The vaccines only reduce the risks of malaria by 35 per cent; it does not prevent malaria like other vaccines that babies take at birth for prevention of communicable diseases.

They should be informed by healthcare givers, community centres, the media and all stakeholders that what the vaccine does is to reduce the attack of malaria and not to totally prevent it.

RTS, S/AS01 is being assessed as a complementary malaria control tool that could potentially be added to and not replace the core package of proven malaria preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures.

The masses in Nigeria, particularly at the grassroots, need to be properly informed about this. Otherwise, Nigerians will read another meaning into the efforts of government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A pharmaceutical error can wipe out a generation of people, so there is need for government to sanction producers of counterfeit malaria drugs.

I am even talking about pregnant women in labour who have COVID-19. That’s why I said everybody in the hospital is exposed and needs to take precaution.

Nigerians find faults easily in government policies and efforts geared towards their welfare.

They should be informed by healthcare givers, community centres, the media and all stakeholders that what the vaccine does is to reduce the attack of malaria and not to totally prevent it

New researches are on-going to develop new antimicrobial medicines and vaccines to tackle malaria- resistance, which has now become a burden to public health

RTS, S/AS01 is the most advanced vaccine against the most deadly form of human malaria –Plasmodium falciparum.

They consume more health-care resources than patients infected with non-resistant strains of the same bacteria.

WHO has adopted these recommendations and is strongly supportive of the need to proceed with the pilots as the next step for the world’s first malaria vaccine.