Jackson Kioko, the Director of Medical Services from the Ministry of Health revealed at the Scientific Symposium on Pneumonia to commemorate World Pneumonia Day on Friday, November 12th.

While speaking at the forum, Mr. Kioko also advocated the use of amoxicillin dispersible tablets, which are a requisite of WHO regulations. He recommended the use of these tablets in place of the Benzyl penicillin that is currently used and administered through injection. The amoxicillin tablets would be administered more easily as they can be ingested   

orally and can also be administered by mothers at home instead of a medical physician.

The conference was a one-day event and laid emphasis on the thematic areas of controlling pneumonia, including the seeking of early treatment and the administration of the right anti-bionics to treat the condition.

 

Kioko said that by using amoxicillin dispersible tablets, patients would receive accurate doses. “We want to eliminate cases where patients use less than the recommended dosage because it can result in reduced drug effectiveness as well as drug resistance.’’ 

 

Pneumonia is a respiratory disease caused by contamination and affects the lungs. It is caused by virus, bacteria and fungi. The Ministry of Health states that Pneumonia is the cause of around 10,000 deaths of children under 5 years of age, with around 30,000 deaths recorded annually. 

 

Other major causes of death are malaria and diarrhea. Kioko also went on to disclose that the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, a state owned organization have committed to making amoxicillin dispersible tablets available to nationwide public hospitals. The government also plans to undertake a cross-country campaign to educate the general public of the importance of amoxicillin dispersible tablets. 

 

 

 

Source : bizmap.com