Transcript World Health Organization Strategies for Working with Countries – Regional and Sub-Regional Perspective and Experiences Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy WHO South-East Asia Region Krisantha.

World Health Organization
Strategies for Working with Countries –
Regional and Sub-Regional Perspective and Experiences
Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy
WHO South-East Asia Region
Krisantha Weerasuriya, Regional Adviser
Technical Briefing Seminar, Geneva, October 2007
WHO Medicines Strategy 2004 – 2007:
4 objectives, 7 components, 44 expected outcomes
OBJECTIVES
• Policy
COMPONENTS
1. Implementation and monitoring of medicines
policies
2. Traditional and complementary medicine
• Access
3. Fair financing and affordability
4. Medicines supply systems
• Quality and safety
5. Norms and standards
6. Regulations and quality assurance systems
• Rational use
7. Rational use by health professionals and
consumers
Coordinated efforts between HQ Departments
Regional & Country Offices
AFRO
Other
WHO
Clusters
AMRO
NPO
NPO
EMRO
TCM
HTP
Country Offices
EURO
PSM
NPO
SEARO
Primary interaction
Secondary interaction
WPRO
NPO
Roles and responsibilities for supporting
implementation of WHO Medicine Strategy
Strategy, policy guidance,
support and collaborations
Planning, implementation, monitoring
Headquarters:
Regional Offices:
Country Offices:
Ministries of Health:
•Strategy and
• Oversee country
• Assess needs and
• Identify needs &
policy making
operations
•Planning & monitoring
• Planning and
•Partnerships and
Collaboration
•Resource Mobilisation
•Provide specific
technical
& policy support
• Support in HR
development & training
monitoring of
country support
• Technical, policy
and management
support to countries
• Human resources
development &
training
• Partnerships and
collaborations
at regional level
identify priorities for
technical support
• Plan & implement
priorities
• Plan, implement and
monitor action
WHO work
• Coordinate with other
•Provide technical
and policy support
to countries
• Assist in coordination
•Partnerships &
collaborations
in countries
•Feedback and report
Ministries and national
bilateral and
multilateral agencies
and CSO's.
Brief Description of South-East Asia Region
Eleven countries
Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPRK, India, Indonesia
Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand &
Timor-Leste (11)
Enormous variation in medicines situation
Self sufficient --- Totally dependent on imports
One common feature – all developing countries
Country needs and regional cooperation form basis of
activities
What is the framework for cooperation?
(Common for all Regions)
 Country Budget & Workplan
 Decided at the beginning of the biennium after
consultation between countries, Regional Office (RO) &
HQ.
 Based on WHO Medicines Strategy
 Additional funds may become available depending on
particular initiatives
 Workplan – mixture of activities (workshops), specific
supplies, and training (in-country and outside)
 WHO is NOT a funding agency – does not fund routine
service activities
How does specific collaboration come about ?
 Country driven – they have a specific issue – Good
Manufacturing Practices – how can we develop our
guidelines ?
Registration of Medical Devices – how can it be done,
what is the experience of the other countries?
 Country driven – emergency – Tsunami - donations
 WHO Initiative – as part of WHA Resolution or Regional
Committee Resolution.
Bulk Procurement scheme for the Region
 Both WHO and Country concerns (Avian influenza)
Examples of collaboration
 Drug Donations – Tsunami
India & Thailand – no donations please
Sri Lanka – posted what was needed (but included non-emergency
medicines)
Indonesia – all donations accepted
Studies on donations done with WHO assistance in Sri Lanka and
Indonesia
Country driven – emergency – Tsunami - donations
 Intellectual Property Rights and Pharmaceutical Patents (Regional
Collaboration based on Inter Governmental Working Group on Public
Health, Innovation & Intellectual Property.
Indian Patent Legislation, Thailand Compulsory Licensing, Indonesia
“Govt” use.
 National Essential Medicines Lists – Regional Workshop – 30th
Anniversary – WHO Initiative with country participation
Examples of collaboration
 Counterfeits – Global Initiative – Biregional (SEARO-WPRO)
Activity – learning from each other
Developing common definitions
Developing common methods
Sharing information
Understanding how to tackle the problems
 Controlled Substances (not taken up by countries) – use of
opioids in pain relief in terminal illness
 Pharmacovigilance – Uppsala Center, encouraging countries to
be part of global scheme
 Specific country activities – evaluation of the DRA as joint
activity –HQ/RO/Country – Situation analysis and suggestions
for improvement
 Developing norms – adopt WHO ones but where necessary
adapt
Summary
Country cooperation based on WHO Medicines
Strategy
Regular workplans based on country needs
Initiatives outside the workplans are
accommodated when necessary
WHO support - Technical assistance and not
funding
Continuing long term work + “when needed”
assistance