Chloroquine “no longer effective” - WHO

Preliminary results from a World Health Organisation (WHO) study have indicated that the popular anti-malarial drug chloroquine “is no longer effective in Burundi”, and the agency has recommended that it no longer be used there, according to a humanitarian update from OCHA Burundi. Measures to prohibit importation of chloroquine have been taken by the health ministry, it quoted WHO as saying. Studies conducted between February and April 2001 in six sites within Burundi, showed that the failure rate for chloroquine varied from 48.9 percent to 93 percent, according to the WHO. Another anti-malarial drug, Fansidar, was found to perform better, with failure rates ranging from 13 percent to 66 percent. However, the WHO warned that the “results present a dilemma”, as a high rate of adverse reactions to Fansidar had also been observed. The study also observed that the number of cases of malaria had stabilised nationwide since March, although some provinces such as Gitega and Karuzi remained a problem.

WHO cautioned that their studies were still being finalised, and noted that problems with the interpretation of their findings persisted. Chloroquine cannot be used effectively in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda except for certain defined areas. The WHO study noted that while the drug artemisine had shown good results in some Asian countries, it was uncertain whether or not it could be effective in Burundi because treatment with the drug required certain clinical conditions and the input of a doctor. Although WHO concluded that the medicine may not be practical for regular use in Burundi, and recommended a ban on the importation of artemisine derivatives before the drug was officially approved, it noted that the Burundi health ministry had a large stock of the drug which could be usable “in case of a serious epidemic”.