By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Dr Ifeoluwa Odedina, a public health physician, has said that the World Health Organisation’s first malaria drug formulated for newborns will help prevent overdose but is unlikely to reduce malaria deaths in Nigeria.
Odedina made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ibadan.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced the prequalification of the first malaria treatment developed specifically for newborns and young infants weighing between two and five kilograms, marking a significant milestone globally.
“Coartem Baby”, approved by WHO is the first antimalarial designed for infants weighing 2 to 5kg.
Until now, doctors treated such babies by crushing and dividing tablets made for older children.
The public health physician emphasised that the drug was essentially a new formulation of an existing drug for newborns and smaller infants.
He stressed that “it is not a new drug per se.”
“The same medication was already being improvised for them before, so it will just help clinical care givers to avoid administering overdose of the drug. So, I do not think there will be marked reduction in the number of babies that die from malaria because of its introduction,” he said.
Odedina added that he had not seen harm from crushed tablets in his practice.
According to him, malaria in newborns and small infants below 5kg is treated by dividing tablets of existing malaria drugs into half, crushing them into powder, mixing with water and administered to the child.
“I have not seen any harm from using crushed tablets in my own experience,” he said.
Nigeria accounts for 27 per cent of global malaria deaths, according to WHO, about 30 million babies are born yearly in malaria-endemic areas of Africa with no previously approved treatment option.
Novartis, which developed the drug with the Medicines for Malaria Venture, said distribution will be “largely not-for-profit”.
To ensure the drug reached poor and rural populations, Odedina said the government must improve facility-level reporting and monitor distribution.
He added that there should be regular visits to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to ensure that the stock allocated is delivered.
He also recommended labeling packs ‘not for sale’ and providing a hotline to report illegal sales to prevent diversion to private markets.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the approval showed “ending malaria is no longer a dream”.
However, the public health physician noted Nigeria was unlikely to meet the WHO target of 90 per cent malaria reduction by 2030.
“It will be near impossible to achieve the 90 per cent elimination goal in four years within the Nigerian context. It is important to focus on preventive measures and to educate people about the need to adopt them to ensure that real progress is made in the fight against malaria,” Odedina said
