By Abimbola Bowoto.
The fight against the malaria scourge in Nigeria is like an internecine war but with Geneith Pharmaceuticals leading the charge, the killer disease is on a path to annihilation.
The enormity of health risks malaria poses to developing and third-world countries is no fairytale.
Studies conducted by scientists and public health workers reveal that malaria kills up to 2.7 million persons each year. Sadly, nine out of ten of these mortalities occur in Africa and the vast majority of them are in children under the age of five years.
Essentially, Africa has a higher burden of malaria-related cases and deaths globally. Children under five accounted for over two-thirds of all malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa which is why a few pharmaceutical companies have taken it upon themselves to formulate special malaria drugs for children between the ages of one and six.
In Nigeria, thanks to Geneith Pharmaceuticals’ flagship malaria formulation for children, Camosunate 1-6, Nigerian kids between the ages of one to six years now enjoy malaria-free formative years and many mothers are now shielded from the nerve-wracking episodes of malaria attacks against their toddlers.
Sarah Osamudia, a 28-year-old mother of two is one of such mothers. In her case, it was during her first pregnancy at an antenatal counselling session by health workers that Camosunate 1-6 was introduced to her and other expectant mothers as a sure bet against malaria for children under five.
Osamudia, an indigene of Edo State has ever since then combated malaria attacks on her children with the drug.
She was, however, shocked to her marrow recently when she ran into Beatrice Abiam, a young mother with whom she attended one of the antenatal sessions complaining bitterly about the non-ending bouts of malaria attacks on her three-year-old who looked sickly and emaciated.
Osamudia quickly reminded Abiam about Camosunate 1-6 and for the three-year-old, that chance encounter between his mother and Osamudia has became his liberation from malaria.
A study on the efficacy and safety of Camosunate for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital carried out by some medical researchers shows the drug is the ultimate in the treatment of the scourge.
A cross-sectional assessment of the efficacy and safety of Camosunate was conducted over a year using 120 patients selected after stratification, by random sampling technique.
All recruited patients had slide-proven uncomplicated malaria and were followed up for 28 days on commencement of Camosunate. Data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and was analysed using SPSS version 15.
The overall efficacy of Camosunate was found to be 95.8%. Treatment was well tolerated as testified by the fact that there was no case withdrawal due to adverse drug reaction (ADR) or pretreatment-emergents and symptoms (TESS). Also, no evidence of toxicity was recorded. Camosunate is highly efficacious and well tolerated in this area of Nigeria and justifies its use as a first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria.
From the foregoing, Camosunate is ultimately the game-changer in the fight against malaria. It suffers no degradation due to hydrolysis and it offers a convenient three-day dosage regimen.
Additionally, it has residual protection due to the amodiaquine components, thus Camosunste can still protect children from malaria attack even after 31 days of usage.
Besides, Camosunate is Vanilla flavored thus offering children pleasant taste and enhancing compliance among them.
While the 1-6 variant of the drug offers a close-knit amour for children under the age five, Camosunate adult for patients above 14 years and Camosunate junior for patients 7-13 years equally have proven solid bulwark against malaria.
Though with the unparalleled success Camosunate has achieved in combating the scourge of malaria in Nigeria and within the West African subregion, Geneith has proven itself a reliable and formidable foe against the disease, the company is not relenting in ensuring that on no account should any Nigerian lay prostrate to malaria attacks.
This is why it has launched in the market, its latest arsenal in that regard- the very efficacious Coatal Soft gel. Coatal Soft gel is a brand of Artemether and lumefantrine indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by plasmodium falciparum.
With ununrivalled Selling Propositions, USP, Coatal Soft Gel towers above similar brands in the market.
For example, unlike others, Coatal Soft Gel is tasteless,odorless and easy to swallow thus making it easy for people with phobia for tablets to consume.
Besides, it dissolves easily and absorbs faster, enabling a fast onset of action and enhancing patient compliance.
Non-transparency of the soft gel protects the ingredient against UV radiation and light, thus providing stability and minimizing the formation of free radicals.
Additionally, the purple colour of Coatel Softgel makes it distinct from other antimalarial soft gels. This renders limitation and faking of the product impossible.
Coatal soft gel is spacely arranged in a sachet, to prevent puncturing of the soft gel capsule and exposing it to sunlight and water.
More importantly, Coatal Soft Gel is pocket-friendly affordable and readily available in all healthcare facilities.
As Nigeria marks World Malaria Day, Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited remains a trailblazer in the pharmaceutical industry, setting new standards for quality, innovation and excellence, and bringing to bear on Nigeria’s health sector, cutting-edge medications that are backed by rigorous research and development.
Pharm. Abimbola Bowoto is AGM (Sales and marketing) @ Geneith Pharmaceuticals Ltd