Cheaper drugs a godsend

Last week, the government launched a programme that will see the cost of malaria drugs drop by more than 90 per cent in the private sector.

Although highly-effective malaria medicines have been available at no cost, many patients still depend on commercial outlets for their doses.

In such outlets, the drugs are sometimes beyond the reach of many needy cases.

This has resulted in under-dosing, sale of non-recommended medicines, and high levels of counterfeits.

All these have compromised the government’s stated intent to eradicate the disease by 2017. Consequently the provision of highly-effective treatment at rock bottom prices is a welcome strategy.

But it may not be time to celebrate yet since the environment that in the past compromised drugs such as chloroquine still obtains.

While announcing the subsidised medicines last week, the Minister for Public Health, Mrs Beth Mugo, warned that those selling non-recommended malaria medicines will be prosecuted.

Such medicines should have been removed from the shelves several years ago, but distributors have ignored similar warnings in the past, and there is no indication that they will behave any differently.

If the integrity of the new medicines is to be protected, then the regulatory authorities must intensify market surveillance and eradicate corruption.