FUTO: School of Health Tech holds 5th lecture

He spoke during the 5th Lecture of the School Of Health Technology [SOHT], Federal University of Technology, Owerri, recently.In a paper titled: “Anti-malarial drug resistance: Molecular considerations and implications for evidence based research in Nigeria,” Chukwuocha noted that some of the factors that contributed to human resistance to some malaria drugs were human behaviour-drug pressure […]

He spoke during the 5th Lecture of the School Of Health Technology [SOHT], Federal University of Technology, Owerri, recently.
In a paper titled: “Anti-malarial drug resistance: Molecular considerations and implications for evidence based research in Nigeria,” Chukwuocha noted that some of the factors that contributed to human resistance to some malaria drugs were human behaviour-drug pressure due to complacency, indiscriminate drug usage and adulterated drugs and biological influence as in pharmacokinetic of drugs and reaction with parasite, decreased immunity, malnutrition and cross reactivity with drugs for other ailments.
He, therefore, listed the tools that can be used to monitor drug resistance to include therapeutic efficacy test, in vitro studies of parasite susceptibility to drugs in culture, case detection, and molecular methods of gene mutations or gene amplifications associated with parasite resistance.
He urged the need for high quality monitoring of anti-malarial drug resistance, sustained funding and encouragement of high level research for routine monitoring, continuous surveillance of molecular drug resistance to inform better planning and effective/timely implementation of drug policies based on evidence which will help in the timely detection of resistance for any particular drug in use.
In his remark, the Dean, School of Health Technology called on the students to be dedicated to their academic studies, saying the future of Africa lied in their hands.
“Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are the major diseases affecting Africa, so I encourage you to go into research in these and many more diseases,” he said.
Mohammed Sani, Public Health Department, FUT, Owerri