|
|
NewslettersSearchEvents
Upcoming events |
Netlink - February 2007Netlink is the members’ email newsletter for the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN). Netlink aims to help members keep in touch with what is going on in the Network. 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 info@epnetwork.org First thought: "The unfailing love of the LORD never ends." Lamentations 3:22
This edition includes: Coordinator participates in EAA regional meeting Christian Health Associations conference held in Tanzania Cameroon Baptist Convention participates in regional training Central Pharmacy hosts store keepers' workshop EPN participates in WHO study feedback meeting EPN HIV/AIDS Programme officer attends impact assessment workshop EPN participates in the EAC HIV/AIDS strategic planning meeting EPN participates in ACT-Development meetings PRDU competition receives positive response EPN board holds first meeting of 2007 Contact magazine on promoting rational use of medicines published Coordinator recovering well from surgery Coordinator participates in EAA regional meeting On 19th January 2007, the EPN coordinator participated and facilitated a session during the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) Africa Regional meeting in Nairobi, Kenya which was held as part of the World Social Forum (WSF) meeting. The purpose of the session was to assess and find ways to increase access to medicines at global, country and individual level. The participants at the meeting proposed some activities towards this goal. These were taken up by EAA for further action. The session included short presentations, buzz-groups and sharing of information and ideas from the floor.
Christian Health Associations conference held in Tanzania As reported in the December 2006 Netlink newsletter the Christian Health Associations (CHAs) in Africa conference was held as scheduled from 16th – 18th January 2007 in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. In attendance on behalf of the Network were EPN HIV/AIDS Programme Officer, Jonathan Mwiindi and, a graduate of the Pharmacist Assistants’ Training (PAT), Ms. Sarah Byaruhanga. The conference which was dubbed the “Bagamoyo conference” was attended by forty participants from different Christian health organizations including the World Council of Churches (WCC) whose representative, Dr. Manoj Kurian, was the chief facilitator of the conference and Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA), who represented overseas partners. The presentations done during the meeting focused on different topics including the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the Human Resources for Health Crisis in Africa, Health Management Information System (HMIS), enhancing private public partnerships and identification of strategies for effective partnerships with local Faith Based Networks in Africa. EPN’s presentation titled: EPN, a tool for Christian Health Associations centred on how to address the pharmaceutical human resources needs. During the presentation, members of the CHAs were requested to help the Network to identify and support ventures and opportunities which assist pharmaceutical personnel. At the end of the conference the participants developed a statement (available at the EPN secretariat) which summarized their continued dedication to serving the poorest of the poor and marginalised in the work of healing ministry, in collaboration with churches, governments and other development partners. The statement also incorporated their plans of action in the next two years including the setting up of a CHA secretariat to coordinate networking and communication activities amongst the CHAs.
Cameroon Baptist Convention participates in regional training Nathan Wanyu the Country Focal Point (CFP) for Cameroon (Anglophone) participated in a regional workshop for Anglophone West African countries from 27th November – 1st December 2006. The aim of the workshop was to train the participants to use the “Quantimed” software which is used in quantifying drug and medical supply needs. The participants learnt how to use consumption data or morbidity data to quantify drug needs more accurately which would help them make more rational decisions regarding quantities to order during procurement. The tool can be adequately used in general drug supply as well as for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and reproductive health commodities. The training which was organized by Action for West Africa Region (AWARE-Reproductive Health) was attended by twenty one participants from Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Central Pharmacy hosts storekeepers’ workshop The Central Pharmacy {part of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC)} hosted a storekeepers’ workshop on 8th and 9th February 2007. The purpose of the workshop which was attended by seventy-eight participants from Cameroon was to enhance the participants’ abilities by assisting them to review the primary responsibilities of a storekeeper, enhance their record keeping skills, and train them on how to improve their stock management skills. Other topics that were discussed included drug records, expired stock and storage conditions. The workshop was also a forum to derive standard performance evaluation criteria for CBC Health Board Storekeepers. Nathan Wanyu who organized the training, advises other DSOs that have a network of customers to conduct similar activities on a regular basis.
EPN participates in WHO study feedback meeting The Network administrator participated in a WHO interregional feedback meeting on the “Multi country study on public medicine supply systems on the African continent” which was held on 6th – 8th February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the meeting were to discuss the key results of the study and to develop an activity plan based on identified priority areas in order to strengthen public drug supply systems. The administrator made a presentation on the Multi-country study of medicine supply and distribution activities of faith-based organizations in sub-Saharan African countries conducted by EPN and WHO in 2004. Each of the participants received a copy of the report and emphasized the need for public and faith-based DSOs to work together.
EPN HIV/AIDS programme officer attends impact assessment workshop The EPN HIV/AIDS Programme officer participated in an HIV/AIDS impact assessment workshop organized by Bread for the World (BfdW) in Stuttgart, Germany from 4th – 6th December 2006. The purpose of the workshop was to measure the impact of HIV/AIDS activities in selected African countries. After the workshop, the programme officer recommended that the Network designs a tool for the follow up of activities particularly in Programme three to measure the output and the outcomes of the different activities in the programme particularly in the treatment literacy workshops. He also recommended that training on how to measure the impact of HIV/AIDS activities and programmes, particularly in the designing of qualitative indicators, is needed. In addition he noted a need to distinguish input indicators, output indicators and outcomes. On March 17, 2003 legislation authorizing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was introduced in the House (HR1298). The PEPFAR-authorizing legislation was passed and became Public Law No: 108-25 on the 7th of May 2003. PEPFAR’s designation as a Public Law is significant for two primary reasons:
Though these distinctions are encouraging as it relates to ongoing support for PEPFAR funded work, what remains in jeopardy due to flexibilities within the law are:
Also, laws have been known to be tossed out, or overturned. But in this case, it is highly unlikely that this will happen any time in the near future unless the law is replaced with a policy that continues the commitment of support, but restructures how it is provided. As the Democratic Party has become the majority within the US Congress, and if the 2008 election is won by the Democrats, it wouldn’t be surprising if this occurs due to the fact that PEPFAR has been a bit politically contentious, as we all well know. For example, a number of democrats called upon the Government Accounting Office to investigate the results of the earmark for the “abstinence until marriage programming.” With the increasing power of the Democratic party subsequent years can anticipate further investigations as per the interests/concerns that are inherent to the Democratic party values and programmatic/policy paradigms. However, as stated, Congressional commitment to supporting HIV and AIDS programming at a significant level was universally approved. (This summary has been kindly prepared by J. Patterson, our member in the U.S.A) The Network communications officer participated at the East African Community (EAC) stakeholders’ meeting to review the draft of the HIV/AIDS strategic plan framework (2006-2010). The objective of the meeting, held from 4th -5th December 2006, was to review the draft strategic plan and mainstreaming framework in order to obtain endorsement from key HIV/AIDS international, regional and national stakeholders in the three countries and other collaborating partners. At the end of the meeting, the heads of the delegations namely: Ms. Ursula Sore-Bahati from Kenya, Dr. Joseph Temba from Tanzania and Ms. Rose Nalwadda from Uganda appended their signatures to the report of the meeting on behalf of the participants. The report of the meeting is available from the EPN secretariat.
EPN participates in ACT-Development meetings In September 2006 the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Development steering committee met to discuss the work plans for the new alliance. Among the proposals discussed was a pilot project on impact assessment which was proposed by Bread for the World (BfdW). On 31st January – 1st February 2007, the Network administrator attended a workshop to highlight the relevance of a joint ecumenical concept of impact assessment and make the proposal an ecumenical joint activity. The meeting was held in Bonn, Germany. The proposal was expected to define among other things: the objective of the joint project, nominate persons for a working group for the joint process and work out the guidelines for the working group. On its completion the proposal was forwarded to the ACT-Development assembly in February 2007 and is now awaiting the outcome. PRDU competition receives positive response In November 2006, EPN launched an essay writing competition to promote rational use of medicines. The contestants of the competition, which was open to all members of the Network, were required to write real stories describing how irrational drug use is happening in their respective institutions, organizations or countries. They were then required to suggest or recommend practical and achievable mechanisms or methods that could be used to effect a lasting change to lead to rational use of medicines. As at 31st January 2007 the deadline for submitting the articles, thirty entries had been received in both English and French languages from Benin (1), Burkina Faso (5), Central African Republic (1), DR Congo (3), India (6), Kenya (1), Madagascar (1), Niger (1), Nigeria (3), Tanzania (4) and Uganda (4). Most of the entries received were of good quality and are currently being read and graded by the judges. The winners will be notified soon via email and the results will also be available at: www.epnetwork.org
EPN board holds first meeting of 2007 EPN board members held the first meeting of the year from 17th – 19th February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya. The board members: Albert Petersen (Germany), Sara Bharttachaji (India), Donna Kusemererwa (Uganda), Gilbert Buckle (Ghana), Kodjo Tsogbe (Togo) and Jane Masiga (Kenya) met to discus the annual and financial plans for 2007 and to also review reports of the activities that took place in 2006. The meeting also served as a time to bid farewell to Hans Peter Bollinger, EPN Programme Officer for Francophone - Africa who leaves the Network at the end of February 2007.
Contact magazine on promoting rational use of medicines published The 2006 October – December edition of Contact magazine has been published. Contact is a publication of the World Council of Churches of which EPN produces one edition annually. This edition on “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines” highlights both the best practices to ensure rational use of medicines as well as the negative practices which encourage irrational use of medicines. The magazine is available online at: http://www.epnetwork.org/en/pubs/contact. Hard copies are currently being dispatched to members and partners. They can also be requested from the secretariat. Copies of the 2005 edition: “Making access to essential medicines possible” are also available at the EPN secretariat and can also be posted, on request, to members.
Following the EPN Forum discussions on the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) in Tuebingen, Germany, a joint EPN/SCMS task force has been formed to explore ways to address the issues raised. From EPN the members are Jane Masiga, Matthew Azoji and Eva Ombaka. Alternate members are Donna Kusemererwa and Stephen Bonnah. The task force has met twice (11th -12th September 2006 and 11th -12th January 2007). The secretariat will be reporting in Netlink (and where necessary by email) the outcomes of the discussions/actions taken. Members are encouraged to send information, questions and comments for the task force to the secretariat or the EPN task force members.
Coordinator recovering well after surgery The EPN secretariat is pleased to inform Network members, partners and friends that the coordinator is recovering well following surgery on her back. The surgery which was done in India in January 2007 was to help relieve pain that she has experienced over the past year and a half. She is grateful to all who offered their support through emails, cards, phone calls, visits and above all, prayers.
END
( categories: Netlink )
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Email a friend