By MILDRED KATONGO –

THE Tropical Diseases Research Centre (TDRC) has introduced a new drug to eliminate malaria in Southern Province.
The drug, ADH, to be taken in a dosage of three tablets, has proved to be more effective than coartem, another widely-used malaria drug.
TDRC executive director Modest Mulenga said the new drug also prevented the recurrence of the disease over a longer period.
Dr Mulenga said this when he addressed members of the Rotary Club of Ndola-Mukuba at Savoy Hotel this week.
He said different geographical areas had different types of malaria interventions, and that it would be difficult to administer ADH to other parts of the country.
He said in Lusaka, Southern, and part of the Copperbelt Province, there was a possibility of eliminating malaria, while Luapula and Eastern provinces still recorded high incidences of the disease.
“According to our research, it has been found that we cannot use similar measures to control malaria throughout the country. In other provinces, malaria is high while in other places such as Southern, Lusaka and parts of the Copperbelt, we’ve almost eliminated malaria.
“The measures that could be used in places where there are high incidences of malaria cannot be used in places where there is a low malaria rate,” he said.
Dr Mulenga said TDRC had also proposed to have a mass anti-malaria drug administration to school-going children who did not show any signs of malaria, but had malaria infections in Luapula Province.
Luapula has been cited to have increased cases of malaria due to the swampy nature of some areas, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“TDRC is also mandated to collaborate in its research and training activities with other research and academic institutions in the country and to offer technical assistance to national disease control programmes,” Dr Mulenga said.