Over the past two decades, a Chinese pharmaceutical company has been working with the government of Sudan to combat malaria with artemisinin, a compound found naturally in a Chinese shrub.
At the Al Ban Jadeed Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, patients are waiting to get treated.
25-year-old Mona Abdulla contracted malaria two weeks ago and has been suffering from headaches, fatigue and vomiting. She told CGTN that malaria had hugely affected her life, as she had to take exams at the law school, and she could neither study well nor take care of her child.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. Left untreated, people can develop severe complications and die. Mona is lucky; her blood test came back negative.
In Sudan, prescribed medicines are usually bought at separate pharmacies outside hospitals. /CGTN Photo
Malaria is a major public health problem in Sudan. In 2017, it killed more than 3,000 people across the country. The Sudanese health authorities estimate that 15 percent of the population is infected with the malaria parasite, but of that group, 80 percent are treated at home, and only five percent go to health facilities. The infectious disease requires medicines that are both effective and economical.
Local medical staff suggest people drain contaminated water, and stay away from mosquito bites. Another suggestion is to complete the treatment after malaria has been positively identified, as many stop taking medication halfway, thus don't get cured completely.
Exterior view of Shanghai-Sudan Pharmaceutical Company on Khartoum. /CGTN Photo.
The Shanghai-Sudan Pharmaceutical Company was founded in 1998 to help contain a malaria epidemic in Sudan. Since then, it has produced 40 million doses of anti-malaria medicine, using artemisinin, which was discovered by Chinese scientists.
And Comether is the newest brand developed by the company to cope with the drug resistance of malaria parasites. The product has been widely used at local hospitals. Halah Ahmed, a doctor at Al Ban Jadeed Teaching Hospital, shared with CGTN that the medical product works well for most of the malaria patients with uncomplicated symptoms. And no side effects have been reported since it entered local markets one and a half years ago.
Inside the Comether production workshop at Shanghai-Sudan Pharmaceutical Company in Khartoum. /CGTN Photo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that no alternatives to artemisinin are likely to become available for several years. In the meantime, pharmaceutical companies are working quickly to find solutions to contain the spread of malaria.