Ghana’s Health Ministry Withdraws New Malaria Drug Following Media Reports of Adverse Side Effects

Ghana's Ministry of Health on Friday announced it has authorized the Food and Drug Board to withdraw the artemisinin-based combination therapy artesunate-amodiaquine from the country's pharmaceutical market, Public Agenda reports. The move comes after media reports of side effects associated with the drug that might have contributed to one death. The FDB was instructed to withdraw single formulations containing 600 mg of amodiaquine and 200 mg of artesunate. The health ministry also urged health care workers to closely follow guidelines provided by the National Malaria Control Program related to the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, according to Public Agenda (Asiamah, Public Agenda, 12/19). The policy, which was introduced in January 2005, recommends artesunate-amodiaquine as the first-line treatment for malaria. The ACT replaced chloroquine as the first-line therapy after some health officials said the older drug had become ineffective against the disease (GlobalHealthReporting,org, 12/19). Although the ministry acknowledged that more safety tests need to be done, it said it stands by the decision to introduce the new drug due to the reduced effectiveness of chloroquine. Artesunate-amodiaquine has proved effective against uncomplicated malaria locally and internationally, according to the ministry (Public Agenda, 12/19).