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e-Pharmalink - September 2006NewsComputer-based medical record system in rural setting Focus on ResourcesNEWSComputer-based Medical Record System in rural settingA rural health centre in Kenya with no electricity has successfully integrated a computer-based outpatient record system. The design and implementation of the system was done in collaboration with Kenya based Moi University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and US-based University of Indiana. The health centre is the sole health care provider for a community of approximately forty thousand people. HIV/AIDSWHO issues guidelines on use of cotrimoxazole prophylaxisWHO has released guidelines on Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. The guidelines state that Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis should be widely used by people with progressing HIV disease and by all HIV-infected or exposed infants. Once it is clear that the infants are uninfected the treatment should cease. http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/F49B70EE-0089-4624-8C38-82AB06A800AF.asp The guidelines can be viewed on: Side effects of commonly-used ARV drug causing concernCommonly used ARV drug, Stavudine (also known as Zerit or d4T) is causing serious side effects which have forced medical experts to re-evaluate its use. The drug causes lactic acidosis; a rare and serious illness caused when lactic acid is not eliminated from the body and instead builds up in the blood and cells which has caused death in some reported cases. http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=6408&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa Rapid antibody test to diagnose HIV in infantsHIV diagnosis in infants under 18 months of age is complicated because the infants retain their mothers’ antibodies for up to 18 months after birth. To distinguish between maternal and infant HIV antibodies, it is necessary to carry out direct tests for HIV using DNA PCR testing. This can only be conducted through well-equipped laboratories that can carry out viral load testing which is expensive and unavailable for most infants in resource-poor environments. Consequently two separate rapid antibody tests which can diagnose HIV infection with 95-97% accuracy in infants as young as four months are in trial in South Africa. http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/DAEE0A6A-109A-4D04-81C8-D88E111E0991.asp Monitoring antiretroviral treatment with limited laboratory servicesLimited laboratory services often complicate or hinder effective ART treatment. This analysis offers suggestions on how best to upgrade existing laboratory systems to efficiently cater for HIV/AIDS patients. http://www.aidsmap.com/cms1060152.asp TUBERCULOSIS (TB)Action plan to combat multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB)Following the reports of the MDR TB in South Africa, an emergency two day Expert Consultation by global health agencies has developed an action plan to fight the strain. The focus of the plan will be to:
http://www.mrc.ac.za/pressreleases/2006/8pres2006.htm Cost effectiveness of treating multi-drug resistance TB (MDR TB)To determine the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of using drug susceptibility testing and second-line drugs in a lower-middle-income setting with high levels of MDR TB, a research was conducted in Peru. The findings on the research can be found on: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030241 MALARIA:Anti-malarial drug to be offered for lessCoartem® the only pre-qualified fixed-dose combination therapy for malaria, shown to have cure rates of up to 95% even in areas of multi-drug resistance, will soon be offered for approximately 1 USD$ per treatment. Malaria medicines for childrenWHO’s recommended list for ACT-based malaria medicines for children can be found and ordered from: http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_23995.html#List FOCUS ON RESOURCESWEBSITES:These websites offer information on medicines for children: REPORTS:WHO Treatment guidelinesThe World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published new guidelines for HIV and AIDS treatment. The guidelines which include Antiretroviral drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants in resource-limited settings and Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents in resource-limited settings can be viewed on: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/en/. WHO Report on Pharmaceutical ExportsThe 40th edition report of the WHO expert committee on specifications for pharmaceutical preparations is available online at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/who_TRS_937_eng.pdf Service Delivery in difficult environments: A guide to key issuesThis guide highlights key issues to be considered when delivering services in countries facing civil war, poverty, weak infrastructure, poor governance or other circumstances that would hinder the efficient delivery of health services. http://www.eldis.org/healthsystems/sdde/index.htm BOOKSHIV and AIDS Treatment Education: A Critical Component of Efforts to Ensure Universal Access to Prevention, Treatment and Care (2006)This book highlights the role that the education sector can play in collaboration with other sectors engaged in efforts to achieve universal access to treatment, prevention, care and support. It considers some key strategies, including how to effectively engage and prepare communities and how to involve key constituencies, in particular people with HIV and those on treatment http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001461/146114e.pdf COURSES:Course: Tuberculosis/HIV management course -------------------------------------END------------------------------------------------- ( categories: e-Pharmalink | Publications )
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