medicines for africa (mfa)’s Post

WHO approves first testing kit for mpox diagnosis In Short The WHO has approved the first mpox testing kit for emergency diagnosis The mpox testing kit is called the Alinity m MPXV assay The most reliable samples for diagnosis come from skin lesions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved the first test to diagnose mpox under its Emergency Use Listing (EUL). Mpox, which has been declared a public health emergency, is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus that leads to flu-like symptoms with skin rash and blisters. The mpox testing in vitro diagnostic (IVD) is called the Alinity m MPXV assay, developed by Abbott Molecular Inc. The test has been approved for emergency use, marking a crucial development in ramping up testing capabilities in countries battling mpox outbreaks. In 2024, over 30,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported in Africa, with the highest numbers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Nigeria. #mpox #test #diagnose #emergency #clinicalresearch #research #worldhealth #who #abbott

I am pleased to see that WHO AFRO has recognized substandard and falsified antimicrobials as a significant challenge in the fight against AMR. In my work on AMR, particularly in Uganda, I have seen firsthand how poor-quality medicines undermine treatment outcomes and put countless lives at risk. Addressing SF medicines is not only critical for safeguarding public health but also for ensuring the effectiveness of our antimicrobial stewardship efforts. This acknowledgment by WHO is an important step forward that shows greater political commitment to addressing the quality of medicines across the region. Strong political will and collaboration at all levels are essential to strengthen regulatory frameworks, improve medicine quality, and protect communities from the growing threat of AMR. #AMR #MedicineQuality #SubstandardMedicines #AMRinAfrica

In April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Nigeria had become the first country to roll out a “revolutionary” new vaccine against meningitis. While meningococcal meningitis occurs worldwide, the highest burden is in sub-Saharan Africa. Four years ago, the WHO launched a global plan to eliminate meningitis by 2030. The adoption of this vaccine in Nigeria is a major step towards that goal. Life-saving medical advances such as this are reliant on the life sciences industry - a sector in which we have global career opportunities. If working in Amsterdam, Dublin, San Francisco or Chicago sounds appealing, and you want to be at the forefront of medical developments, why not take a look at our current roles? https://lnkd.in/erbxakuS #LifeScienceJobs #BiopharmaceuticalJobs #MedicalResearchJobs #BiotechCareer

Feeling proud to be one of the technical team members that implemented the program successfully. The first assignment upon joining was a bit challenging, but a wonderful novel experience. It would not be possible without your guidance and foresighted supervision Dr Jorge Martínez David Odhiambo Otieno,MPH Feroz Hayat Khan Sabbir Hossain 🙏 Running from November 29th, 2023, to February 01, 2024, The World Health Organization (WHO) Bangladesh is carrying out a large-scale Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and Health Sector partners to break the transmission of persistent scabies upsurge among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. This initiative strives to target nearly 1 million individuals residing in 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char Island, marking it as the world's most extensive MDA campaign for scabies treatment and prevention. MDA is a crucial public health intervention where medicines are provided to large populations for disease prevention or control. The preferred treatment for scabies in MDA is the Ivermectin 3mg tablet and Permethrin 5% cream for contraindicated cases. The MDA treatment will be expanded to reach a broad population, addressing varying needs based on medical considerations. The initiative was sparked by the heightened susceptibility of Rohingya refugees to scabies, as revealed by a WHO prevalence survey of May 2023. The survey indicated a prevalence rate of 39%, surpassing the crucial 10% WHO threshold necessitating MDA. More interesting findings are linked below. https://lnkd.in/gAVe3J7C

#reimbursement 🪙 Expansion of the “Affordable Medicines Program” in Ukraine in 2025-2027. The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ukraine and the Національна служба здоров'я України have announced their plans to expand the national reimbursement program called "Affordable Medicines." The program will include several new INNs used for treating mental and behavioural disorders by 2024. The MoH has also recommended adding nutrition care products for pediatric patients with rare diseases to the program. #marketaccess #healthcare #healthsystems #ukraine

Achieving World Health Organization Prequalification (#WHOPQ). The #availability of #essentialmedicines with guaranteed #quality plays a crucial role in the advancement of global health goals, such as eliminating preventable deaths of newborns and children under five, combating waterborne and other #communicablediseases, ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases, and achieving universal health coverage (#UHC). It can be challenging to guarantee a steady supply of these medications. There are frequently #gaps or shortages in the #globalsupply of a certain necessary medication because there are few or no GMP-compliant manufacturers producing it. Encouraging pharmaceutical producers to meet global #quality standards, like the World Health Organization prequalification (#WHOPQ), can assist in resolving concerns about the availability of essential medicines. Bloom Public Health is equipped to provide #pharmaceuticalmanufacturers with responsive #technicalassistance through the journey to becoming WHO-prequalified, empowering them to consistently produce quality-assured essential medicines at par with #globalstandards. Kindly contact us about the WHO prequalification process, and we will respond within 48 hours. #WHOPQ #globalstandards #pharmaceuticalmanufacturers #essentialmedicines #GMP #supplychain #capacitybuilding #BloomPublicHealth #Africa #Nigeria #Cameroon #Botswana #Rwanda #Zambia

🚨 Counterfeit Medicines On The Rise In Africa: A Growing Health Crisis 🚨 Did you know that many medical products in low- and middle-income countries is either substandard or falsified? In Africa, this issue has escalated into a dangerous public health threat. Counterfeit drugs are on the rise, putting millions at risk. Click here to learn more ⬇ https://lnkd.in/d_u6inX9 ⚠️ The Impact: - Ineffective treatments for life-threatening diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. - Increased antimicrobial resistance due to poor-quality antibiotics. - Loss of trust in healthcare systems and increased health inequalities. 💊 Why It’s Happening: - Weak regulatory frameworks. - Lack of access to affordable, genuine medicines. - Supply chain vulnerabilities that allow fake drugs to flood markets. 🔑 The Solution: - Strengthening regulatory oversight to crack down on counterfeiters. - Encouraging public-private partnerships to secure supply chains. - Raising public awareness to recognize and avoid counterfeit products. Africa’s fight against counterfeit medicines is a fight for life itself. It’s time for all stakeholders—governments, healthcare providers, and communities—to step up and address this growing crisis. Together, we can save lives. 🌍 #HealthcareInAfrica #PublicHealth #CounterfeitMedicines #PatientSafety #AfricanHealthCrisis

The USAID-funded PQM+ program developed a summary of its landscape study on medicines used to treat and prevent neglected tropical diseases (#NTDs). The study assessed the supply chain of seven key medicines, with an aim to increase local capacity for manufacturing and procuring NTD treatments in sub-Saharan #Africa and #Asia. Learn about the key findings and recommendations of the study here ➡ : https://ow.ly/4o9q50TRRYr #HealthSystems

Medicines for Africa (mfa) welcomes leaders like Minister Yvan Butera, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Rwanda advocating for more clinical trials in Africa as part of wider efforts to advance health for all. "Let's conduct clinical trials beyond malaria to tackle diverse diseases in order to advance healthcare for all. Through fostering collaboration, investment, and innovation, we can end malaria in Africa." Clinical trials are ons of the most important ways to ensure that medicines are safe, effective and work as expected and the continent of Africa is severely underrepresented in global clinical trials. Medicines for Africa (mfa) for Africa calls for countries to do more to develop clinical trial capacity so that more Africans can participate in clinical trials to ensure that medications and vaccines that are developed are safe and effective in African populations too. #africa #health #healthcare #medicines #vaccines #publichealth #clinicaltrials #diseaseprevention #safemedicines #qualitymedicines #counterfeitedmedicines #MIM2024

We are excited to share this pre-print of our Scoping Review of Cholera Elimination Efforts in Zambia. This is the first of several works we hope to publish based on the lessons learnt from this outbreak and beyond. Despite known evidence of the risks from insufficient safe water supplies, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), the protective effects of oral cholera vaccines, and a Roadmap from the GTFCC, there is a continuous increase in cholera outbreaks on the continent. With an increasing frequency related to climatic conditions and unplanned urbanization, it will be important to adopt a decentralised approach to cholera control in Zambia. There is a continued need to advocate strongly for multisectoral interventions aligning health and WASH investments. Enjoy this foray into the challenges and lessons from the last 10 years of cholera control efforts in Zambia.