Ugandan Government Distributing Coartem at No Cost, Health Minister Says

The Ugandan government has begun distributing Novartis' artemisinin-based combination therapy Coartem in public and private hospitals and clinics at no cost, Health Minister Stephen Mallinga told the Social Services Committee Wednesday, Monitor reports (Nandutu, Monitor, 8/2). Uganda in February introduced Coartem as the first-line treatment for malaria (GlobalHealthReporting.org, 2/23). Mallinga on Tuesday said most people in Uganda cannot afford the roughly $11 needed to purchase Coartem and warned that unauthorized sales of the drug could lead to arrest. He also said the Ministry of Health would implement guidelines to ensure that people can access the drugs at health centers nationwide (Monitor, 8/2). In related news, Mallinga said the government has not yet made a decision about whether to approve the use of DDT to control malaria. The ministry has conducted an environmental impact assessment of DDT and submitted it to the National Environment Management Authority for approval, according to Mallinga. When NEMA announces its findings, the ministry will submit them to the Cabinet, which will discuss the findings before taking a position on the issue, Mallinga said. NEMA has invited the public to submit by Sept. 8 comments on the issue based on the EIA, which is available at the NEMA office and in public and university libraries, New Vision reports (New Vision, 8/2).