Publications Netlink Netlink - August 2010
| Netlink - August 2010 |
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Netlink is a bi- monthly email newsletter of the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN). Its purpose is to keep EPN members in touch and updated on what is going on within the Network. This and previous editions of Netlink are available at http://www.epnetwork.org/Netlink ProfessionalismI myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. EPN and CME Nyankunde organize a Medicines management workshop in CongoFrom June 8th to 10th 2010, our Programme Officer Anke Meiburg facilitated a workshop for our member institution CME Nyankunde in DR Congo. The Centre Médical Evangélique de Nyankunde is a Christian organization that runs 3 hospitals, 11 health centres and is also in charge of one Zone de santé in East DRC.  CME had realized there was a deficit in medicines management skills, especially when it comes to keeping stock records and accurate quantification of needs. To address this need, CME decided to offer a workshop for the staff of the health institutions in their network and approached EPN to facilitate the workshop. The first two days of the highly participative workshop were based on the medicines management component of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) workshop developed by EPN: day 1 on the medicines management cycle and day 2 on Operational Principles for Good Pharmaceutical Procurement. Other presentations were added on supply management at primary level, focusing on stock records, quantification of needed medicines and order reception. EPN HIV and AIDS treatment literacy coursesFollowing the recent publication of the HIV and AIDS Treatment Literacy Guide for Church Leaders, EPN decided to offer its Treatment Literacy Courses for Church Leaders on invitation from any church or other groups. EPN is convinced that religious leaders have a key role to play to educate and support their communities in regards to HIV treatment issues. That is why EPN is offering an opportunity to church leaders to be able to advocate for access to these services through a tailor made Treatment Literacy program. This course aims at providing mechanisms for support, love and development of an HIV competent society with the religious leaders being actively involved to encourage and support HIV patients to start treatment and stay on treatment. For more information, please see the attached course announcement leaflet. Member profile - CBCAIn this months profile, we feature our member Communauté Baptiste au Centre de l'Afrique (CBCA) and more specifically Katwa hospital, one its main health institutions. The hospital is situated in DR Congo, province of North-Kivu and has recently hired a new pharmacist to lead its pharmaceutical unit. Download the attached profile to learn more about Katwa and its activities.
Focus on EPN materialsIn this new section of Netlink, we want to focus on the materials that EPN has developed and that are available for use by the members. This month’s focus is on the AMR comic strips that were developed at the start of EPN’s AMR campaign. Visit our website page http://www.epnetwork.org/comic-strip to see the first in the series and find out which others are available. These comic strips are a good way of passing on important messages on issues such as quality of medicines, rational medicine use and hand hygiene. Those who would like to reproduce them in their own publications, local media or any other forum should contact the EPN Secretariat. The strips are available in English and French and soon also in Kiswahili. EPN would appreciate if members want to volunteer to translate these comic strips into any other language. Appeal to membersEPN would like to request its members to make a concerted effort to regularly contribute content for the Netlink newsletter. The contributions can be reports of activities that have taken place within your organization or other news concerning your organization. Let us know what is happening. Remember that this is YOUR newsletter. Use it to reach other members, to share experiences and to learn from each other! Please also remember to send us your annual reports. EPN joins Medicus Mundi InternationalMedicus Mundi International (MMI) is a Network of organizations working in the field of international health cooperation and advocacy. The members (13 members, based in 7 European countries) of the Medicus Mundi International Network fight global poverty by promoting access to health and health care as a fundamental human right (“Health for All”). The Network aims at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the work of its members and their partners through sharing know-how and joining forces. Just like EPN, MMI’s key strategy is to strengthen the health system as a whole. At the end of June, EPN’s application was received positively by the MMI Secretariat. The official admission will take place during the MMI Assembly in Amsterdam, on November 3rd 2010. Hôpital Bon Berger Tshikaji (IMCK) in Congo joins EPNHôpital Bon Berger Tshikaji (IMCK) is a Church Health Institution. The teaching hospital also trains medical staff. IMCK falls under Eglise du Christ du Congo (ECC), one of the protestant churches whose health department is also an EPN member. Board Chair Albert Petersen tentatively approved IMCK’s request to join EPN as a member. Their membership will be ratified during the next Board meeting in November. We are happy to welcome them into our network. Community Development Medicinal Unit in India joins EPNCommunity Development Medicinal Unit in India is an NGO with several hundreds member organizations. Amongst its main activities are lobbying & advocacy with similar organizations, raising awareness and capacity building on health and medicine use, publications on essential medicines and procurement, storage and distribution of essential medicines. Board Chair Albert Petersen tentatively approved CDMU’s request to join EPN as a member. Their membership will be ratified during the next Board meeting in November. We are happy to welcome them into our network. Learn more about CDMU from their website: http://www.cdmubengal.org/ EPN ED attends an MSF workshop in Geneva, SwitzerlandFrom June 10th to 11th 2010, our executive director Donna Kusemererwa attended a workshop organized by MSF on improving access to quality medicines for use in resource limited settings. One of the reasons MSF organized this workshop is because they felt that the larger problem in the developing world is substandard medicines and yet the global focus is more on counterfeit medicines. The meeting explored issues such as inadequate capacities of National Medicines Regulatory Agencies (NMRAs) in Africa, incentives for local manufacturing, donor quality assurance policies, fast tracking of medicine registration and harmonization of medicine registration in regional groupings. Among the other participants were WHO staff from the prequalification unit and essential medicines department, representatives of pharmaceutical supply agencies and civil society organizations. Our member Hans Peter Bollinger recovers from a motor accidentOn 30th April, Hans had an accident with his motorbike in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Due to his extensive leg injuries, he had to be flown back to his home country Switzerland the next day. Six weeks and four operations later, Hans was transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation clinic, where he stayed for another 4 weeks until 9th of July. He still has to undergo one last skin transplant, but is now recovering well at his brother’s home in Switzerland. We thank God that he survived and wish him a speedy recovery.
Unexpected death of John ChilundaWe mourn the unexpected death of our colleague and friend John D. Chilunda who passed away out of health and active life on Friday 23rd of July 2010. John Chilunda was a pharmacist working at St Luke’s Foundation, an EPN member in Tanzania. Many of us knew John who has worked for many years to improve the standards of hospital based IV fluid production and to encourage production and distribution of good quality medicines. Our sincere condolences go to his family, his wife and 2 children, all at St. Luke’s Foundation, all friends and colleagues.
Elisabeth Goffin joins EPN SecretariatElisabeth first joined EPN as a consultant in February 2010, when she worked on the new website. She is now Communications Officer. Elisabeth is a Belgian, she relocated to Kenya in January 2010, together with her Kenyan husband. She has studied French and Italian philology and journalism. She has working experience in technology training and optimization, journalism and translations. Elisabeth is enjoying life on the other side of the equator and will make sure that our anglophone and francophone members are served in their respective language as much as possible.
Beatrice Mwangi joins EPN SecretariatBeatrice joined EPN Secretariat in July 2010 as Support Services Officer. Beatrice is a graduate of Kenyatta University where she pursued a course in Education, majoring in French and Secretarial studies. She has experience as a trainer and secretary at Prolife International Group and is enthusiastic to provide support to her best ability to EPN to realize its objectives. She looks forward to opportunities of interaction with the members.
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Netlink August 2010 CBCA Profile (
