The complexities of tackling malaria in Nigeria

A recent article on AllAfrica.com interviewed an FHS researcher in Nigeria, Dr Oladimeji Oladepo, about how the Nigerian health system has responded to the challenges of malaria. Despite the fact that ACTs (or artemisinin combined therapy) are much more effective in fighting the straines of malaria most prevalent in Nigeria, Dr Oladepo notes that sales of chloroquine remain more common -- especially among patent medicine vendors.

"In fact, 70 per cent of people who have fevers, symptomatic of malaria, will visit the patent medicine vendor first, and they would want to buy chloroquine, the cheapest drug, to treat their malaria," he said.

The article works to explain why this might be, and why the problem persists in Nigeria. Read the article in full, or find out more about FHS's work in Nigeria.