Jane Nafula
30 June 2008
A new drug called Cefodox has been introduced in Uganda to replace penicillin in treating pneumonia.Penicillin, which has been used for years, has become ineffective in treating community acquired pneumonia, an infection of the lungs which can lead to death if not treated early. A person suffering from this condition experiences difficulty in breathing, chest pain, fever and cough.
Cefodox which is available in both tablet and syrup form is manufactured by Pharma International in Jordan and is being distributed by Wide Spectrum Enterprises Uganda Limited.
Officiating at the launch of the drug in Kampala on Friday, Primary Healthcare Minister Emmanuel Otaala said apart from pneumonia, the new drug is also effective in treating other respiratory infections and urinary tracts as well as those of the skin and soft tissues.
Other infections that can be treated by Cefodox include urinary tract infections, cervical and anorectal gonorrhea, tonsillitis and otitis media, bronchitis, and sinusitis among others.
Dr Otaala cautioned the public against self medication saying it could force the new drug to become resistant like other antibiotics that have been misused.
"For the sake of not introducing resistance to this new drug, prescribing treatment should be a preserve of clinical and medic officers," he said. The Director of Kibuli Muslim Hospital, Dr Mahmoud EL- Gazar, appealed to government to fix the prices of various drugs to avoid the exploitation of consumers.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
