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Editor, I read the report by Peter Moszynski
with great interest [1]. The
problem of antimalarial resistance in Southeast Asia is the present focus
in infectious medicine. There are several attempts to launch new
preventive and therapeutic protocols to solve this emerging problem. There
are many reasons for the present unsuccessful control of this infection.
The problem of illegal or fake drugs should be specially focused. Indeed,
due to the poverty, several fake drugs are illegally produced in this
endemic area of drug resistant falciparum malaria. Indeed, good
evidence on the problem of fake antimalarial drugs in Southeast Asia was
given by Dondorp et al [2]. The below standard antimalarial drugs can lead
to failure of treatment or lengthen period of gaining a cure. Thus the focus for
fighting malaria should also expand to solving the problem of below
standard antimalarial drugs.
Reference
1. Moszynski P. Cambodia cracks down on illegal drug vendors in bid to
counter antimalarial resistance
BMJ 2010; 340: c2622.
2. Dondorp AM, Newton PN, Mayxay M, Van Damme W, Smithuis FM, Yeung S,
Petit A, Lynam AJ, Johnson A, Hien TT, McGready R, Farrar JJ, Looareesuwan
S, Day NP, Green MD, White NJ. Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a
major impediment to malaria control: multinational cross-sectional survey
on the prevalence of fake antimalarials.
Trop Med Int Health. 2004 Dec;9(12):1241-6.
fake antimalarial drugs and drug resistance
Editor, I read the report by Peter Moszynski
with great interest [1]. The
problem of antimalarial resistance in Southeast Asia is the present focus
in infectious medicine. There are several attempts to launch new
preventive and therapeutic protocols to solve this emerging problem. There
are many reasons for the present unsuccessful control of this infection.
The problem of illegal or fake drugs should be specially focused. Indeed,
due to the poverty, several fake drugs are illegally produced in this
endemic area of drug resistant falciparum malaria. Indeed, good
evidence on the problem of fake antimalarial drugs in Southeast Asia was
given by Dondorp et al [2]. The below standard antimalarial drugs can lead
to failure of treatment or lengthen period of gaining a cure. Thus the focus for
fighting malaria should also expand to solving the problem of below
standard antimalarial drugs.
Reference
1. Moszynski P. Cambodia cracks down on illegal drug vendors in bid to
counter antimalarial resistance
BMJ 2010; 340: c2622.
2. Dondorp AM, Newton PN, Mayxay M, Van Damme W, Smithuis FM, Yeung S,
Petit A, Lynam AJ, Johnson A, Hien TT, McGready R, Farrar JJ, Looareesuwan
S, Day NP, Green MD, White NJ. Fake antimalarials in Southeast Asia are a
major impediment to malaria control: multinational cross-sectional survey
on the prevalence of fake antimalarials.
Trop Med Int Health. 2004 Dec;9(12):1241-6.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests