Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), November 15, 2013 — US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) is helping the Government of the DRC save newborn lives. By using a common antiseptic, 7.1 percent Chlorhexidine (CHX) for cleaning a baby’s newly cut umbilical cord, infant mortality … Read more
Reposted from MSH at the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2013. While the National Tuberculosis Programs (NTP) of most countries offer free diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis (TB), many people worldwide first seek care from other providers, such as physicians in the private sector, pharmacists, or informal drug sellers. Partnerships between NTPs and providers … Read more
Reposted from MSH at the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2013. When purchasing a medicine from the shelf of a local pharmacy, it’s easy to forget the many miles traveled and challenges overcome to make it available to consumers. This is especially true for tuberculosis medicines, which come from a limited number of manufacturers and … Read more
First established in 1974 (G.C.), the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association (EPA) has evolved to become one of the strongest and most exemplary professional associations in Ethiopia. Despite its longevity, prior to 2007, the EPA had limited capacity, staffing, and resources. The annual conference was the only time the EPA was able to engage its approximately 700 … Read more
Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical system suffers from major structural and systemic problems around transparency and accountability; recording/ documentation/ information management, human resources, workflow, and quality of services. The US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) is scaling up the use of a leading-edge systems tool that introduces transparent and … Read more
Adverse drug events among patients beginning new medicines can have disastrous consequences for treatment outcomes. The Swaziland Ministry of Health’s (MoH) National Pharmacovigilance Centre, the National Tuberculosis Control Programme, and the Swaziland National AIDS partnered with the US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) to launch an … Read more
“Health care is not about what doctors and nurses do in hospitals…there are a range of different stakeholders that need to play their parts.” This comment by key note speaker Dr. Sania Nishtar at the “Engaging Pharmacists in TB Care and Control in Pakistan” stakeholders’ meeting this week in Islamabad, Pakistan, highlighted the importance of … Read more
The National Malaria Control Program (PNLP), with technical support from the Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services Program and funded by the US Agency for International Development, organized a training workshop on the quantification of antimalarials at the Hotel Columbus on May 7–9, 2013. It was attended by actors involved in needs estimation. … Read more
Children under five in developing countries are susceptible to contracting illnesses like malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. For many, accessing a health care center to obtain treatment can be over a day’s commute or more resulting in a lack of access to medicines. In such situations, trained community health workers (CHW) pick up supplies and medications … Read more
Originally written by Dr. Constance Toure, Dr. Suzanne Diarra, Dr. Modibo Diarra, and Dr. Yssouf Diallo on the MSH website. Access to family planning methods has been challenging in many parts of Mali – even before the US had to shut off direct aid to the Malian government. With funding from the US Agency … Read more
