Ghanaians urged to avoid use of counter medications

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A Senior Staff Nurse at the Children’s Emergency Ward of the Tamale Teaching Hospital has urged Ghanaians to avoid use of counter drug medication in order to avert complications in Malaria treatment.

According to him people prefer going to pharmaceuticals for medications than to the hospital for diagnosing to unravel the real cause of their sickness for proper prescriptions.

Mr. Alhassan Mubarak was speaking with on Fiila Lunch-Time Health Talk programme, with host Akosua Kwatemaa Boakye on malaria in children today.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans of the genus Plasmodium. Commonly, the disease is transmitted via a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which introduces the organisms from its saliva into the person's circulatory system.

In the blood, the protists travel to the liver to mature and reproduce. According to him, malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever and headache, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death.

The disease he said is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

He said malaria is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions because rainfall, warm temperatures, and stagnant waters provide habitats ideal for mosquito larva.

The Senior Staff Nurse said malaria is typically diagnosed by the microscopic examination of blood using blood films, antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests and chemical manifestations.

Mr. Mubarak noted that transmission of malaria can be reduced by preventing mosquito bites by sleeping in treated insecticide mosquito nets, use of insect repellents, draining of stagnant water and spraying insecticides around surroundings.

He indicated that variety of anti-malarial medications are available, for severe malaria case he said intramuscular quinine and  the artemisinin derivative artesunate and artesunate lumifantry for mild case which is superior to quinine in both children and adults.

He also advised parents to always wear their children long clothing in the night to prevent the bite of mosquitoes.