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Bulletins d’informationNouvelles pour les pharmaciens dans les environnements de pauvres ressources Nouvelles pour les membres de EPN SearchEvents
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e-Pharmalink - June 2005Follow the links in the table of contents to jump straight to the relevant section of the newsletter.
NEWS Fake Drugs: Rapid Alert System (RAS) WHO has developed a new way to battle the rising number of fake drugs in South East Asia countries. The internet-based Rapid Alert System (RAS) will alert health authorities and the public in the region almost immediately after a fake drug is identified. Limitations in using this method are however cited as a large percent of the population in this region do not have access to the internet. http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=28600 Nigeria bans use of Dipyrone The use of Dipyrone® has been banned in Nigeria. The drug which is administered for the treatment of mild to moderate pain is known to cause fatal shock and is banned in most countries. http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug/archive/200506/msg00012.php Polio: Immunization drives paying off The spread of polio could end this year. Just over 1,000 cases were reported in 2004, compared to 350 000 in 1988 – a 99% reduction. African nations have fought hard against this epidemic, launching massive synchronized immunization drives reaching over 100 million children. In West and Central Africa, only three countries have reported cases this year: Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. This is despite a major epidemic that swept the region in 2004, causing outbreaks in 16 previously polio-free countries. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr28/en/index.html Tanzania: Local Firm to Produce ARVs A local Tanzania Pharmaceutical company will begin producing generic anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in mid 2006 from a factory in the Northern town of Arusha. Tanzania Pharmaceutical Industries (TPI) has begun importing raw materials from China and producing the drugs on a trial basis. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/a7622989c56a64e15cb23d3d984e0c7a.htm WHO needs to do more Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says that lack of commitment from the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO) is crippling the effort to improve access to affordable versions of needed drugs. Health professionals running HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria programs in developing countries are dismayed that WHO leadership has not done more to empower its in-house potential specifically designed to expand access to affordable medicines. http://www.doctorswithoutborders-usa.org/pr/2005/05-17-2005.cfm Sources of Generic Medicines Drying Up The lives of millions of people worldwide using affordable Indian medicines depend on India's future policies with regard to medicines patents. As the Indian Parliament prepares to tackle the country's implementation of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) agreement regulating patents on medicines; Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is urging Indian decision makers to ensure that patients in developing countries will continue to have access to affordable medicines. http://217.29.194.251/msfinternational/invoke.cfm?objectid=4309CA5D-E018-0C72-09FA0FB6AAD81E55&component=toolkit.article&method=full_html HIV/AIDS Training for 150,000 Indian Doctors The Clinton Foundation will train 150,000 private sector doctors in India in HIV/AIDS care and treatment over the next year. The foundation will also assist the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) of India scale up the government's antiretroviral treatment program to approximately 188 centers across the country. http://www.clintonfoundation.org/052605-nr-cf-ai-pr-plan-to-train-150,000-doctors-in-india-in-aids-care-and-treatment.htm Dispute over generics stalls treatment African nations are refusing to accept US Food and Drug Administration approval of generic AIDS drugs, delaying the delivery of the less costly medicine to patients, according to US, UN, African, and drug company officials. African nations prefer to have WHO approval. The problem highlights the lack of coordination between key players which is frustrating efforts to rapidly expand treatment in regions hardest-hit by the deadly virus. http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2005/06/20/aids_drugs_hit_roadblock_in_africa/ ARVs Patent: Brazil's Government Approves Bill The Brazilian parliament's lower house has approved a bill that would suspend patents on all ARVs allowing Brazilian companies to produce generic ARVs. This will happen if the government and patent-holding pharmaceutical companies cannot reach an agreement on price reductions and licensing. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=30497 Neglected diseases: Global appeal for new treatments launched In an appeal to focus research on developing new drugs, diagnostic tests and vaccines for diseases that mostly affect the poor, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), other non-governmental organizations, scientists and a number of Nobel laureates around the world have joined the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative. The participants are demanding political leadership in defining research priorities, ensuring sustained financial support and reducing patent and regulatory barriers to step up vital research and development (R&D) activities. http://www.accessmed-msf.org/prod/publications.asp?scntid=8620051339152&contenttype=PARA& MALARIA Debate on Use of DDT to Reduce Morbidity Malaria is preventable, treatable and curable. It however, kills a child every 30 seconds. It is a major cause of poverty and low productivity in Africa, draining economies and slowing economic growth by about 1.3% a year. As a vaccine for the deadly illness continues to prove elusive, there is a debate raging on whether to use DDT to reduce the mortality rate. Spraying mosquitoes with DDT reduces the death rate by up to 20%. However, DDT has documented side effects on humans. http://allafrica.com/stories/200506150404.html Fighting Malaria in Africa draws questions Alhough its budget for fighting malaria has risen to from $14 million in 1998 to $90 million, the United States' foreign aid agency (USAID) is spending 95% of the money on consultants and less than 5% on mosquito nets, drugs and insecticide spraying to fight the disease. http://www.fightingmalaria.org/news.php?ID=451&month=June%202005 UNIFEM Launches Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), with support from UNAIDS, has released a Gender and HIV/AIDS Electronic Library on CD-ROM. It includes research and studies, training resources and tools, and multimedia advocacy materials on the gender dimensions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic produced by a variety of organizations. To obtain a copy, send a request to unifem@genderandaids.org. Selling Sickness This is the title of a new book that is expected to be released in July 2005. It gives details of how drug companies are redefining medical conditions into major illnesses to make the population believe they are unwell. The drug companies then market medicines for the conditions and increase their profits. For more information on the book visit: http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&btob=Y&isbn=1560256974&endeca=1&itm=3 TB Update MSF has produced a report on TB care in the 21st century. The report gives detailed information on limitations of the current global TB strategy, diagnostics and drugs. http://www.doctorswithoutborders-usa.org/publications/reports/2005/tbreport_2005.pdf HIV/AIDS Training Course Supply Chain Management of HIV/AIDS Medicines and Supplies Course Dates: 17 July - 30 July, 2005 Location: Pretoria, South Africa For more details please contact: Ms. Clarisse Morris, P.O. Box 37098 1030 AB Amsterdam, The Netherlands Phone: +31 (0) 20 4037185, Fax: +31 (0) 20 4031854 e-mail: camorris@ida.nl DTC Training Course Drug and Therapeutics Committees and Training of Trainers Course Dates: November 28 - December 10, 2005 Location: Penang, Malaysia For more details, please visit http://erc.msh.org/dtc or http://www.msh.org/projects/rpmplus/3.4.htm —end— ( categories: e-Pharmalink | About us )
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