Catherine Falade Quotes

The spread of resistant strains to other parts of the world, including Nigeria, has now become a major public health challenge.

More researches should be encouraged for non-communicable disease like malaria while rational and acceptable use of recommended drug should be encouraged.

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.

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

More than 20 other vaccine constructs are currently being evaluated in clinical trials or are at an advanced pre-clinical development.

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.

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

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.

Whether you are working at a COVID-19 centre or not, all of us are exposed to the virus. Patients come in for acute surgical operation, without even knowing they have COVID-19. But when we check for signs and symptoms, we get to discover they are positive.

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.

Secondly, some patients have COVID-19 and won’t want the health workers to screen them. They want immediate attention. The health care workers are human beings too. But as much as possible, we are making efforts to ensure that everybody gets attended to. But we must take precaution.

The malaria vaccine reduces prevalence, morbidity, and mortality from malaria attacks; the concern is that people take three antigens and then take the vaccines.

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.

Any patient that is positive for malaria on the rapid diagnostic test should be treated with an efficacious drug and that is Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) and not chloroquine. Chloroquine has failed. Many adults will tell you chloroquine works for malaria. But that is because chloroquine has an anti-inflammatory effect and so the aches and pains will go. Chloroquine also has fever-lowering effects which also makes the patient feel better as the fever resolves at least for a while as he/she will not feel febrile but the parasites are still swimming in the blood and growing because the parasites have developed resistance to it.

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.