New malaria strategy for children announced

The Ministry of Health plans to begin supplying free, pre-packaged doses of chloroquine and Fansidar to control malaria among children in what it calls the home-based management of fever, the government owned -New Vision’ newspaper reported on Friday. The Director-General of Health Services, Professor Francis Omaswa, told a malaria symposium in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, that the new strategy was to package the drugs in predetermined doses in order to control the way the drugs were taken and avoid abuses. The distribution of the drugs - in one dose for children below one year and one for those aged between one and five years - would begin in September, though health centres and trained volunteers, the ‘New Vision’ reported. “Cost-sharing has been removed, and these drugs are going to be distributed free. If the budget allows, we shall package drugs for adults as well,” it quoted senior medical officer Dr Jessica Nsungwa as saying.