e-Pharmalink is the e-mail newsletter of the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) an independent, apolitical, non-profit Christian organization. This newsletter aims to alert pharmacists and other health professionals of information sources about international trends relevant to their work and opportunities that could support them in their efforts to provide effective and efficient services, particularly in poorer countries. It summarizes information reported by a wide range of publications or organizations and includes web links to the original sources. Anyone can receive this e-mail. If you have any information to contribute or comments on the content, or if you would like to unsubscribe, subscribe or recommend someone to receive it, please contact
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NEWS
Global Fund suspends funds to Uganda
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has suspended grants to Uganda based on evidence of serious financial mismanagement. A review by accountants of one of the Global Fund's five grants to Uganda uncovered mismanagement by the country's Ministry of Health, which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Global Fund programs.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082401436.html
Traditional healers preferred in Zimbabwe
An increasing number of Zimbabweans are turning to traditional healers and medicine following the inhibitive costs of visiting modern hospitals. Under-resourced state hospitals and clinics charge around Zim $20,000 (US 8 cents) per consultation, but the cost at better-equipped private hospitals is around Zim $500,000 (US $20) and patients can quite easily run up a bill of Zim $15 million (US $615) in a week.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=48781&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa
Polio: Indonesia outbreak tops 200
The United Nations plan to eradicate polio by the end of the year has encountered an obstacle following an outbreak in Indonesia that has affected over 200 children. An immunization campaign that was started earlier in the year has experienced fewer parents presenting their children for the vaccine due to fear of possible harmful effects.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050807/hl_afp/healthindonesiapolio_050807212214
ACCESS TO MEDICINES
Brazil reaches drug patent deal
A US pharmaceutical manufacturer has agreed to reduce the cost of a HIV/AIDS drug, Kaletra, after Brazil threatened to manufacturer a cheaper generic version. The price reduction will take place over the next six years; and part of the deal is that Brazil will have access to the drug’s next new formula.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4662877.stm
Weak medicine
Sources in Kenya’s pharmaceutical industry have revealed that over 50 per cent of all medicines in the Kenyan market are counterfeits. These are drugs that lack any medicinal value and are harmful to health as they may contain very toxic substances. That is why sometimes taking a drug for a condition worsens.
http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/mags/executives/articles.php?articleid=27417&date=17/08/2005
Trade agreement may restrict supply of essential drugs
Stringent intellectual property provisions imposed by the United States in a new free trade pact may trigger higher prices of drugs and will restrict access to cheap essential generic drugs in Central America.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7512/310-e
How to better manage pharmaceutical warehouses
Pharmaciens sans Frontières Comité International, an organization that specializes in quality pharmaceutical health care, has compiled guidelines on how to better manage pharmaceutical warehouses. The guidelines provide rules and actions to go through when improving or developing pharmaceutical stores regardless of the geographical location. Topics covered include the characteristics of a warehouse, the warehouse staff and their responsibilities and quality assurance.
http://www.psfci.org/new/uk/pool/pharmwarehouse.pdf
HIV/AIDS
Antiretroviral Treatment: Ethical implications
The imbalance of the provision of ART against the actual need is raising ethical dilemmas about who should be granted access to publicly-subsidized ART programmes. Case studies have been conducted in Mexico, Senegal, Thailand and Uganda where policy commitments include explicit rationing of access to care. http://www/who.int/bulletin Volume 83 no.7, July 2005, page 541
Drug Supply Falls Short
Free HIV/AIDS treatment for all Russia citizens guaranteed by a federal law on AIDS passed in 1995 is now nothing more than an empty promise. This follows what was a major oversight in planning considering that back then, approximately 900 people tested positive for the virus and 160 had died from AIDS-related ailments. Statistics from UNAIDS and the World Fact book respectively, show that to date approximately 1,000,000 people are infected with the virus and over 9,000 have died.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/08/16/002.html
HIV/AIDS Price information services
The June 2005 report of Sources and Prices of Selected Medicines and Diagnostics for People living with HIV/AIDS was recently released. The report provides market information on over 90 reviewed products for the treatment and management of HIV/AIDS from 76 manufacturers from 28 countries. It includes updated prices of pharmaceutical products and diagnostic tests. Apart from anti-retroviral medicines, it includes medicines used to treat a range of opportunistic infections, for pain relief, for use in palliative care, for the treatment of AIDS-related cancers and for the management of drug dependence. It also provides information on a range of HIV/AIDS test kits for initial diagnosis of the infection, and ongoing monitoring of antiretroviral treatment and drug resistance.
http://mednet2.who.int/sourcesprices/
WHO Pre-qualifies another 10 ARVs
WHO has pre-qualified 10 more ARVs drugs. Seven of these drugs which are manufactured by Ranbaxy laboratories are pre-qualified IF they come from Paonta Sahib Factory. The same products, bearing the same name, and from Ranbaxy, but coming from Dewas or Jejuri factories are NOT pre-qualified. For further information on the pre-qualification of drugs, kindly visit: http://mednet3.who.int/prequal/
Uganda achieves 3x5 targets ahead of schedule
The Ministry of Health in Uganda has announced the achievement of the 3 by 5 target for Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), six months ahead of schedule. The reasons attributed to this success (and which are again listed as one of the opportunities for providing universal access to ARVs) is availability of drugs and the low cost of drugs and diagnostics.
http://community.eldis.org/webx?50@428.rZ2ta0qxeb0.0@.eec12fa
MALARIA
Facts on Malaria
- Malaria kills between 1 and 2 million people every year
- Malaria kills one African child every 30 seconds
- Malaria is the first cause of death for children under 5 years of age
- Sickness and death from malaria account for 30-50% of hospital admissions
- Malaria accounts for a yearly loss of US$ 412 billion on the African continent
DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative) Newsletter, Edition No. 10, April 2005]
Malaria aid for Africa doubled by 2010
The US government has pledged US $1.2 billion over a 5 year period to cut deaths from malaria in Africa. The malaria campaign will initially target Tanzania, Uganda and Angola before expanding to include other nations. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=29287
Drug resistance warning for Malaria
Researchers at St. George’s University of London have found that a mutation in the malaria parasite could make it resistant to the latest line of anti-malarial medicines. However, they noted that the discovery could help them develop new treatments. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4615023.stm
TB
First TB drug developed by a non-profit begins clinical trials
The Global alliance for TB drug development, a non-profit public-private partnership developing new drug regimens for TB has started phase 1 clinical trials for a promising new drug. This drug provides a model for future drug development as it and increases the chances of developing faster treatment.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=11035
WHO Declares TB an Emergency in Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa comprising health ministers from 46 Member States has declared tuberculosis an emergency in the African. This is in response to an epidemic that has more that quadrupled the annual number of new TB cases in most African countries since 1990 and is continuing to rise across the continent, killing more than half a million people every year.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/africa_emergency/en/index.html
FOCUS ON RESOURCES
BOOK
Title: Sterilization of Medical Supplies by Steam (Volume I – General Theory) Second Revised edition
Author: Jan Huys
Publisher: HEART Consultancy
This book focuses on the sterilization of medical equipment by pressurized high temperature steam. It has several illustrations which make the book easy to understand. More details on the book are available at: http://www.heartware.nl/bkssteren.html
REPORT
Title: National policy on Traditional Medicine and Regulation of Herbal Medicines
Author and Publisher: WHO
This is the report of a global survey by WHO which gives details on national policies on traditional or alternative medicine from various countries; including issues such as the manufacture of herbal medicines, the safety of herbal medicines and herbal medicines and the essential drug list. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2005/9241593237.pdf
COURSES
Management in Health
Health Systems Management Program
Dates: 10th -25th November, 2005
Location: Kiryat Tivon, Israel
For further details please contact: Mr. Gil Storfer, Program Administrator, International Department, Galillee-College via e-mail: gstorfer@galilcol.ac.il
CONFERENCES
HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria conference
Conference: HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, from knowledge sharing to implementation
Dates: 3rd -5th October 2005
Location/Venue: Durban, S.A
For more details please visit: http://www.mrc.ac.za/conference/edctp/index.htm
Malaria conference
Conference: 4th MIM Pan African Malaria Conference
Dates: 13th – 18th November, 2005
Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon
For more details please visit: http://www.mim.su.se/conference2005/eng/overview.html
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