The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Sunday News Reporter
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has dismissed claims that four children who recently died in Masvingo Province succumbed to allergic reaction to medicine being administered to people during the ongoing elephantiasis, bilharzia and intestinal worms mass treatment exercise.
Director for epidemiology and disease control, in the Health Ministry Dr Portia Manangazira said the medicines being used for the programme were safe and none were associated with adverse effects including death.
“People die from diseases and very very rarely from medicine meant to treat it. The death at Nemanwa was due to intestinal obstruction, the others await post-mortem. All medicines used in the national programme are prequalified by the WHO and have post marketing surveillance and lot quality assurance done by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe. None are associated with serious adverse events and certainly not death,” she said.
She, however, said the medicine had minor side effects which were not of an adverse nature.
“Yes, a little discomfort is to be expected. Hence the health promotion on taking a meal comprising carbohydrates, protein and Vitamin C, limiting physical activity, rest before and after taking the medicines before walking back home; and, reporting early if any untoward effects.
“If resident in highly prevalent areas find out more information on these and follow health workers’ advice on which drugs to take and how to take them. This goes a long way to minimise side effects,” she said.
Dr Manangazira said the ministry has had such mass treatment programmes annually since 2010 using the same medicine with no adverse reactions having been recorded.
On the progress of the mass treatment exercise, Dr Manangazira said an estimated 44 percent of the targeted coverage had been achieved so far. The Ministry of Health and Child Care is targeting to treat about 6,8 million people nationwide and three million have so been treated. Seven provinces have been covered so far, with the exercise yet to reach Bulawayo and Mashonaland Central, while Harare is a non-endemic area and will not be covered.
Dr Manangazira said the Government will not continue providing the mass treatments because they were expensive and could build resistance. She said efforts should be put on ensuring improvements in safe water and sanitation coverage in a government wide and multi-sectoral approach. The Government, at the beginning of this month, embarked on a countrywide mass treatment exercise for elephantiasis, bilharzia and intestinal worms targeting both children and adults.
Dr Manangazira was speaking after four children from Masvingo Province died last week following suspected allergic reaction to medicine administered to during the ongoing mass treatment exercise.
According to sources in the area, the four children died at Nemanwa Clinic where they had been rushed to after allegedly reacting to medicine administered to them at their respective schools. One of the children was from Nemanwa Primary School while the other three were from Boroma School.
Sources in Masvingo told Sunday News last week that the four children could have reacted to the treatment and developed a fever, showing symptoms like dizziness, weakness and sweating.
“The first one was at Nemanwa and he was rushed to Nemanwa Clinic and died upon admission. Three other children from Boroma also reacted to the medicine and showed similar symptoms. Similarly they were rushed to Nemanwa Clinic for treatment but succumbed,” said the source.
The sources added that some adults in the area have also reacted to the medicine, showing similar symptoms such as sweating, dizziness and feeling weak.
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