The World Health Organization Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products invited SIAPS to participate in its annual French Technical Briefing Seminar, held 9-13 May, in Geneva, Switzerland. The seminar, held every year since 1998, brings together experts working in the pharmaceutical and health sector programs in francophone countries, around current and topical issues related to medicines and health products. Over 50 participants gathered from countries including Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali.
The theme for this year’s seminar was medicine policy. Sessions covered several issues including pharmaceutical systems strengthening, medicine selection and rational use, safety of heath products, and improved access to quality medicine to strengthen Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
SIAPS Principal Technical Advisor Seydou Doumbia delivered a presentation entitled Strengthening Pharmaceutical Management Information Systems for Decision Making: Applications from West Africa, in which he shared the program’s approach to strengthening pharmaceutical information systems for decision making using the web-based tools, OSPSANTE and OSPSIDA. Both tools provide real-time patient and commodity information for priority public health programs to support evidence-based decision making. The presentation generated interest and a fruitful around the use of web-based tools to improve data collection and analysis.
SIAPS Country Project Director for Mali Constance Toure and SIAPS Country Project Director for Guinea Marie Paule Fragier also represented SIAPS at the meeting.
See the full presentation here
To view other key documents and presentations from the seminar, click here.
