Réseau Pharmaceutique Œcuménique (EPN)

This edition includes:
News
HIV/AIDS
Tuberculosis (TB)
Diarrhoea
Malaria
Focus on Resources
Inventory software
Websites
Journals
Reports
Courses

Once daily Kaletra may be less effective than twice a day dose
Taking Kaletra once daily may be less effective than taking the drug twice a day in patients with high viral loads (above 100,000 copies/ml), research presented to a conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in March 2007 suggests.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/B55D63B6-B198-4056-A3FB-D05652303E5B.asp

Early weaning and formula feeding puts HIV-exposed infants in resource-limited settings at high risk of severe diarrhoea and death
The advice given to mothers infected with HIV in resource-limited settings to avoid breastfeeding — or to abruptly wean their infants sooner than they normally would — in order to keep from transmitting HIV to their infants has been called into question. Studies conducted in Malawi, Uganda and Kenya have shown that when HIV-exposed babies are weaned early and abruptly, they are at a very high risk of acquiring life-threatening diarrhoeal illnesses.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/1C6972FE-B40B-42BC-BC71-2BA36589535E.asp

TUBERCULOSIS (TB)
Rifampicin levels strongly reduced in patients with TB and diabetes
Studies conducted by Dutch and Indonesian researchers and reported in an edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases show that levels of the anti-TB drug rifampicin are significantly lower in people with tuberculosis and type II diabetes. This may explain why people with type II diabetes have a less favourable response to TB treatment. The studies indicate that people with diabetes, especially those with higher body weights, may need higher doses of rifampicin. Type II diabetes is known to be an important risk factor for the development of active TB.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/E67BF499-9E21-488C-944F-FBFB7F4208CB.asp

DIARRHOEA
Role of zinc in prevention of childhood diarrhoea
Zinc supplementation has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of diarrhea and respiratory illnesses and the duration of diarrhoeal morbidity. Studies conducted in India indicate that children who received a zinc supplement had fewer episodes of diarrhea and respiratory tract infections and significantly fewer attacks of severe diarrhea or dysentery, persistent diarrhea, and lower respiratory tract infection or pneumonia than did those who received placebo. They also had significantly fewer total days with diarrhea.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/119/6/1120?etoc

MALARIA:
Malaria drug losing efficacy among children
According to a report published in the June 2007 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), a drug given to prevent malaria in malaria-endemic regions in resource poor settings may be losing efficacy among children. The drug which also has significant value in preventing malaria-related complications during pregnancy, such as anaemia and low birth weight among infants, has become increasingly ineffective among children with the disease because malaria parasites have acquired resistance to it. SP is considered the only viable option for preventing malaria complications during pregnancy because of its low cost, demonstrated safety and ease of use.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=2&DR_ID=45727

Hopes over new malaria treatment
Imperial College in London has collaborated with experts in Kenya to develop a technique based on fluid replacement for children ill with malaria. They estimate it could save the lives of 80% of the million African children who die each year due to malaria. In one trial of 88 children with malaria, 98% survived after treatment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5346176.stm

Fish can fight malaria mosquitoes
Kenyan researchers have hailed a humble fish as the latest weapon in the battle to curb the spread of malaria. Nile tilapia, a type of fish commonly found in East Africa was introduced to several abandoned fishponds. By consuming mosquito larvae the fish managed to reduce numbers of two of the main malarial mosquitoes by more than 94%.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6937270.stm

FOCUS ON RESOURCES
Pharmaceutical inventory control software
The latest release of the pharmaceutical supply chain / inventory management software mSupply (version 1.96r3) is now available. The new features of the software include:
* Location management by volume; especially good for cold chain items.
* Budgets - track purchases and issues against budgeted amounts.
* Repeat dispensing- split a single prescription into smaller issues
* Customizable display of items- each user gets their own settings
For more information please visit: http://www.msupply.org.nz

WEBSITES:
http://model.pih.org/ This is an on-line edition of The Partners in Health (PIH) Guide to the Community-Based Treatment of HIV in Resource-Poor Settings. This is the first module of the PIH Model On-line, the first storeroom in what will become "a warehouse of PIH tools, resources and guidelines for global health delivery."
http://www.pharmacists.pk/ Pakistan Pharmacists Society (PPS) has launched a new discussion forum about pharmacy in Pakistan. The aim of the PPS is to promote and expand the profession of pharmacy and the role of pharmacists in the country. This will help in improving drug use and pharmacy practice.

JOURNALS:

Prescrire International
Prescrire International is the English language edition of the reference French journal la revue Prescrire. It contains comparative evaluation of new drug interventions, reviews of adverse effects, and papers on drug policy issues. Prescrire International is totally funded by subscribers, with no support from pharmaceutical industry or government. It is published six times a year and health professionals in low income countries can also benefit from the journal thanks to Solidarity Subscription Rates. Drug companies are excluded from applying to Solidarity Rates. For further information please visit:  www.prescrire.org or email: International@prescrire.org

REPORTS:
The 15th list of Essential medicines has now been made available on the Medicines web site at:

http://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/EML15.pdf

COURSES:
Course: Managing Drug Supply in Developing Countries
Venue: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dates: 1st – 13th October, 2007
For the course description and the registration form, click on the following link:

http://www.idasolutions.org/?p=training or email: training@idasolutions.org
Website: www.idasolutions.org

Course: Rational Medicine management - a focus on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
Venue: Tanzania Training Centre for International Health, Ifakara, Tanzania
Dates: 5th – 16th November 2007
For more details please contact Dr. Karin Wiedenmayer (STI) email:
courses-sti@unbas.ch , Telephone number: + 41 61 284 82 80, Fax: + 41 61 284 81 06

Course: Antibiotic Resistance (co-organized by the International Society of
Chemotherapy and Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics – APUA
Venue: Kololi, The Gambia
Dates: 21st – 24th November 2007
For more details please visit: http://www.mangosee.com/antibiotics2007