Malaria and Medicines

   Written by: Muhammad Nasir Serat

According to the information provided by the ministry of public health of Afghanistan about 299863 cases of malaria were recorded this year.  The highest percentage is in the eastern provinces (Nangarhar, Kunar, and Laghman). If patients affected with malaria do not take medicines in accordance with the prescription of the doctor, they might face serious health problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some patients of malaria and a physician.

Frishta, a resident of Laghman province says: “once I got infected with malaria, the physician advised me 15 days medicines bit I stopped taking medicines after a week. When I went to the physician for the second time and he checked my blood, I had gotten infected with malaria parasite again. Now I am suffering from body ache and dizziness.”

Sifatullah, a resident of Nangarhar province had the same problem.

Doctor Hameeda Hameed, a coordinator of Malaria & s Leishmaniosis program, Kabul city says: “when malaria parasite infects someone, the infected person must go to the doctor. The doctor would prescribe him/her some medicines and the patient should take the medicines on time. If he/she stops taking medicine, this might reduce his/her body resistance against diseases and the patient might face some serious health problems such as liver enlargement; respiratory problems; nausea; kidneys failure and finally death might take his/her life.”

Why some patients do not take malaria medicines on time?

Mirwais, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province says: “when the doctor prescribed me some medicines for malaria, he asked me to take the medicines on time and he avoided me from eating some foods but after a few days I stopped the medicines and started to eat everything, and it caused me jaundice too.”

 Doctor Hameeda says: “When the patient does not take his/her medicines on time and accordance with the prescription of the doctor or take half a dose, the parasite of malaria would grow again and it might attack the patient and faces him/her serious health problems.”