About SP | Why switch to SP? | How can the situation be improved? | Who's responsibility to care the sick child? | What's wrong with the media? |
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- People who had experienced side effects due to SP can never use the drug again in their life time. -Most people fear using SP because they think it is not a good drug. health facilities because people don't use the drug may be unless you force them -When one takes the drug needs to eat a enough food and drink a lot of water -Few people get side effects due to SP and actually it is not easy to tell if really what people complain is due to SP. -A lot of people are affected by and many have died. -Children who use SP get very weak, tired, and some become confused. - In general SP cures better than chloroquine and it is a good drug except of its minor problems it causes -SP is a combination of Fansidar, Metakelfin and Septrin. | -Even if you tell the doctor that you don't have malaria still you will get SP prescribed. - These drugs are still on trial and this is bad to play with peoples lives. - Sometime when you ask the doctors about SP they become harsh and they think that you are trying to teach them their job. -These days doctors don't pay much attention to patients as they mind their own business and less time for patients. - It is up to the Ministry of Health and experts to decide what should be done regarding malaria treatment. | - Find preventive measures against malaria and more research on SP is needed. - More efforts should be done to inform and educate the people about the drug. - There is a need to improve laboratory facilities so that people should be checked for malaria parasites before they are given or prescribed SP. - There is a need to have SP injection formulation. - SP dosage should be reduced especially for under-five children as the drug is too strong though it is a good one. - Radio and newspapers should help in educating people. -SP should be removed from use and chloroquine be brought back -Doctors should be educated on measuring weight of patients before prescribing SP and should check who to give SP. | - All married men take responsibilities as children are our only investment. - Most decisions involving finances are done by men and if the father is not around the wife takes the task in the absence of the husband. - Many women prefer to start with traditional healers for a seriously sick child. -Even if the husband is a drinker, when one gets home we normally ask if things are in order. As the father is a bread earner in most households. - The wife takes care of the children and the father looks for money to feed the family. - Sometimes we men take the responsibility of helping our wives to take a sick child to hospital or go together if we around home. - Most father's can not leave his/her sick child dying without helping each other at home. -We father's participate especially if the sick child is above 5 years and mother's deal with sick under-fives. | - These news people are making business sometime by writing misleading information about SP. - So people need to be careful when reading newspapers or watching television or listening to the radio. - These media do not give or talk about the positive aspects of the drug instead they just talk of the negative aspects of SP. - You will find that most of the side effects of SP we have heard or seen them shown in newspapers, radios and televisions. -Even pictures of affected individuals by SP are shown on televisions and newspapers. - In our village or community we have not yet experienced any person so far getting problems with SP but have only read in newspapers. |