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Netlink - April 2008

This 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
“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
                                                                                                                                                                                            Micah 6:8 
 
Evangelical Hospital Koyom seeks to grow the Network
On 11th and 12th March 2008 EPN Country Focal Point (CFP) in Chad Dr. Ndilta Djekadoum visited faith-based organizations involved in the health field with the aim of:
  • introducing EPN to organizations particularly those that are involved in providing pharmaceutical services
  • recruiting these organizations to EPN membership and discussing the possibilities of forming a national network
  • to creating a work schedule for EPN workshops and meetings for 2008
Dr. Ndilta met with manager of the Adventist hospital in Bere, the administrator and senior medical officer of Bebalem Hospital and the manager of the Drug Supply Organization, BELACD. The meetings were fruitful as the organizations visited were willing to become members of EPN and all agreed on the importance of forming a national network.

Francophone programme officer participates in EED regional seminar
On a regular basis EPN’s partner organization EED organizes regional seminars where professionals seconded by EED, EED partner organizations and EED staff get to know each other and exchange ideas. This assists in improving collaboration and strengthening the development of programmes and projects supported by EED.

On 25th to 29th March 2008, the EPN Francophone programme officer (who is an EED seconded staff) attended one such seminar in Limbe, Cameroon. A key lesson learnt from the seminar whose theme was “African Youth in a changing world” was the importance of strengthening the EPN internship programme which would offer opportunities for the youth and contribute to them having a better future.

Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on Intellectual Property (IP), Innovation and Health: Follow up with the Africa Civil Society Coalition
The Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on Intellectual Property (IP), Innovation and Health was established under the World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 59.24 and tasked to draw up a global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation, essential health research and IP rights on access to essential medicines for diseases specifically found in developing countries.

The Africa Civil Society (CS) Coalition was set up in August 2007 to develop an African civil society position on Intellectual Property (IP), Innovation and Health. EPN is a partner of the Coalition which incorporates various organizations. In August 2007 a statement was drafted and presented to the African Ministers of Health meeting held in September in Brazzaville, Congo, and also at the second IGWG public hearing in Geneva in November 2007.

The most recent meeting, which was attended by the EPN administration and networking officer, was held on 3rd and 4th April 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania. During this meeting the Coalition developed a statement available at:
http://www.epnetwork.org/en/network/igwg The statement will be presented during the next IGWG meeting scheduled for 28th April to 3rd May 2008.

A main agenda for this upcoming meeting is the development of a global plan of action which will be presented to the World Health Assembly (WHA) scheduled for May in 2008.

The ongoing IGWG negotiations are addressing a number of important issues such as global governance, financing for essential health research and development, trade agreements and relations, innovation policies, and access to medicines, and crucially, ethical and ideological issues including human rights. The main beneficiaries of these negotiations will be poor people from developing countries and African Member States and their partners are urged to take action to ensure the needs and interests of their people are effectively represented in this process.

EPN Niger Country Focal Point honored
The EPN Country Focal Point (CFP) in Niger Dr. Wolo Jérôme was awarded the 2007 Guy Crescent Prize at the Bourdelle Museum in Paris, France. Guy Crescent was a disabled man who suffered from polio at an early age but overcame the challenges that come with disability to become the head of various organizations. The prize is awarded to honour handicapped persons who have worked for the well-being of the community by serving others and proved extraordinary entrepreneurship.

In 1992, Jérôme created a social health complex in Niger which serves the community in various ways including providing pharmacy services, vaccination, and prevention activities for mothers and infants. For more information please visit the website:
http://www.fondationgeodis.org/geodis/fondation-geodis.nsf/vwAffPages/ukpageleslaureats

Charting the way forward for Church-based Drug Supply Organizations
As opposed to several years ago Church-based DSOs face various challenges from government and private DSOs. In addition Church Health Institutions which previously purchased a large amount of their supplies from these DSOs may not necessarily do so any more. To discuss this situation EPN held a strategic consultation with the chairs of the DSO boards, the heads of supply units and where relevant, the heads of the Christian Health Associations.

The objective of the meeting, which was held on 13th – 15th April 2008 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, was to discuss the current global environment around issues of drug supply and their impact on the church drug supply systems. The meeting was also an opportunity to chart the way forward for the church related pharmaceutical services to keep being relevant and thus strengthened as they work in the current environment.  

During the meeting the DSOs identified their key strengths as focusing on the needy and the poor and using a holistic and compassionate approach to serve. They also identified seven key aspects which they believe an efficient DSO should have. They are:
  • Mission and values
  • Faith-based business approach
  • Awareness of environment
  • Attention to client
  • Structures (policies, procedures, infrastructure)
  • Looking outside the box
  • Good relations; including networking
From these aspects, representatives from each DSO assessed their DSOs and committed themselves to work on one of the above aspects. They also committed themselves to assist the DSOs which face major challenges and to share experiences through the DSO portal of the EPN website.

EPN members participate in assessing Kenya Medical Supply Agency
Representatives from EPN members in Uganda, Nigeria, Malawi and Ghana participated in an assessment of the Kenya Medical Supply Agency (KEMSA) from 28th March to 12th April 2008. The two-week assessment was organized by Millennium Challenge Account - Threshold Programme (MCA-TP) Kenya, and attended by EPN representatives Donna Kusemererwa from Joint Medical Stores (JMS) in Uganda, Mike Omotosho from ChanMediPharm in Nigeria, Langston Mukura from Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) in Malawi and Stephen Bonnah from Catholic Drug Centre (CDC) in Ghana.

The purpose of this activity was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of KEMSA specifically in the management, procurement, warehousing, logistics and information technology functions planned under the MCA - PT. The assessment also identified areas of weakness and made recommendation for further system strengthening in line with KEMSA’s vision and mission.

Due to their experience and skills in working with Drug Supply Organizations, the representatives from EPN member organizations made valuable contributions in ensuring that the recommendations made were relevant for KEMSA. They also learnt that KEMSA is not unique in the challenges it faces as some of their own organizations also face similar challenges for which they can apply the recommendations given to KEMSA.

Other key lessons learnt included the methodology used for the design of the questionnaire, tools, data collection and collation. Also of importance was the involvement of all the stakeholders of KEMSA which ensured their inclusion and understanding of the assessment and subsequent activities.

Challenges of paediatric treatment for TB: DrugInfo Moldova seeks solutions
Childhood tuberculosis (TB) is a serious though often neglected health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) Stop TB Strategy reflects the importance of the need to improve care for children with TB. It is estimated that one-third of the world’s population is infected with the TB causing bacteria; each year about nine million people develop TB, of whom about two million die. Of the nine million annual TB cases, about one million (11 percent) occur in children under 15 years old. Of these childhood cases, 75 percent occur annually in 22 high-burden countries, together accounting for 80 percent of the world’s estimated incident cases. In countries worldwide, the reported percentage of all TB cases occurring in children varies from 3 percent to more than 25 percent. According to the Moldova National TB Report, in 2006 in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, children age 14 and younger had a TB case rate of 75.9 per 100,000. In 1990, the rate was 8.7 per 100,000. This shows a significant increase in the cases of childhood TB.

To discuss the challenges associated with paediatric medicines for tuberculosis DrugInfo Moldova, EPN member in the Newly Independent States (NIS), held a workshop on 21st and 22nd February 2008. Seeing that the Essential Drugs List of Moldova lacks information on formulations for TB in children, the participants at the workshop who included doctors, nurses and pharmacists listened to the challenges that nurses undergo when dealing with children with TB. The main challenge is in dividing tablets meant for adults to administer to the children a situation which increases the threat of overdosing or under dosing. There is therefore an urgent need to develop paediatric formulations to treat TB in Moldova and the larger NIS.

ASAD offers support to orphans and vulnerable children
To assist in reducing the levels of stigma associated with HIV infection, EPN member in Burkina Faso ASAD (Action Sida des Assemblées de Dieu) organized a social support group for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). During the meeting which was held on 28th February 2008 the children were offered a meal and participated in various activities including singing and learning Bible verses. Nine children of the approximately sixty children present were presented with a bicycle each to make it easier for them to go to school. Some travelled approximately twenty five kilometres to and from school each day. To make it easier for children to attend the social support groups for OVCs, it is hoped that the meetings can be organized at different locations rather than a centralized location. It is also hoped that more children can be presented with bicycles to enable them to attend school daily.
 
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