Masses becoming immune to malaria drugs due to overuse

Irrational use of anti-malaria drugs has caused the masses to become immune to them, thereby compelling policy makers to change these medicines countrywide. Experts said this should act as a wake up call against unreasonable use of drugs else very soon people would develop an immunity against the new drugs as well.

“Doctors used to prescribe chloroquine, which is an antimalarial drug, for regular fever, which has caused up to 95% resistance for the drug among the masses. It’s time we understood the hazards of irrational drug use, else we will be left with very few options for malaria treatment,” said Dr Ujjala Ghoshal, additional professor, department of microbiology at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

Delivering a lecture at a symposium on vector borne disease held at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences on Saturday, Dr Ghoshal narrated how selfmedication and inadequate use of drugs was the one of the leading causes of this resistance.

“We don’t have many options to treat malaria, hence if people also developed immunity to the new combination of Artesunate and SulphadoxinePyrimethamine, it will become very difficult to give treatment,

LUCKNOW:

as in the case of Multi Drug Resistant-TB or Extremely Drug Resistant-TB,” said Dr Ghoshal.

Director of Lohia institute prof Nuzhat Husain said the role of physicians and paramedical staff was critical in explaining the importance of correct medication to the masses. She said the department of microbiology at the institute was well equipped for effective diagnosis of various vector borne diseases in the state.

Dr Vineeta Mittal, associate professor and head department of microbiology at the institute said, “The world’s fastest growing vector-borne disease is dengue, with a 30-fold increase in disease incidence over the last 50 years,” said.

The symposium, which was targeted for clinicians and lab physicians involved in diagnosis and treatment of vector borne diseases, saw participation of eminent speakers such as Dr Amita Jain, professor, department of microbiology KGMU

DOCTORS USED TO PRESCRIBE CHLOROQUINE, WHICH IS AN ANTI-MALARIAL DRUG, FOR REGULAR FEVER, WHICH HAS CAUSED UP TO 95% RESISTANCE FOR THE DRUG AMONG THE MASSES DR UJJALA GHOSHAL, additional professor, department of microbiology, SGPGI

and Dr MK Gupta director/ state programme officer, AES/ JE, Uttar Pradesh.

The first newsletter of the department was also launched during the symposium.

The programme was attended by senior officials of the institute including Dr MLB Bhatt and was coordinated by Dr Vineeta Mittal.