Short course announcement: Rational Drug Policy and Management
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Rational Drug Policy and Management - The Challenge of Diseases
of Poverty
26 September - 7 October, 2005
Ifakara, Tanzania
Organised jointly by the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI) Basel
and the Department of Tropical Hygiene & Public Health (ATH�G)
of the University of Heidelberg.
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
Health is an intrinsic human right as well as a central input to
poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. Cost-effective
interventions including drugs for controlling major diseases ex-
ist, but a lack of money for health and a range of system con-
straints hamper efforts to expand health services to the poor.
From penicillin to insulin, antiseptics to antiretrovirals, sci-
ence including drugs have led to dramatic improvements in health
worldwide. Yet the main diseases of poverty such as HIV/AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis continue to claim innumerable lives in
the developing world. Drugs are an essential and cost- effective
tool of health care and an important element of health systems.
The number and type of drugs on the world market is constantly
increasing, while financial resources for health care services
in general remain limited or decrease. Today, for millions of
people worldwide essential drugs remain unavailable and unaf-
fordable. Irrational drug use is a global public health problem
and poor quality drugs are an additional barrier to equitable
access to drugs. Millions of adults and children die each year
from treatable and preventable diseases.
Reducing the illness and premature mortality experienced by poor
people contributes to poverty reduction. It is about getting
well-tested and effective control interventions such as drugs to
the people who need them, whether by reducing their costs, pro-
moting research and development, improving their distribution,
increasing their efficacy and acceptability, or slowing down the
development of antimicrobial resistance. But, today these drugs
don�t reach all who need them, and there is a need to develop
better strategies that ensure better access. Rational drug pol-
icy and management is one approach to tackle these problems and
is critically important in view of constrained health budgets
and to achieve efficiency, equity and quality of health care in
pluralistic health systems.
OBJECTIVES
To enable health professionals to understand and apply the con-
cepts and principles of essential drugs and rational drug policy
and management with a focus on the diseases of poverty HIV/Aids,
malaria and tuberculosis, to recognise the need for a national
and international drug policy environment, to improve knowledge
and to apply practical field experience for rational drug man-
agement within different health system contexts.
COURSE TOPICS
* Historical evolution and current global drug situation in dif-
ferent health care systems
* Concept of essential drugs and its relevance in primary health
care
* Concept and principles of rational drug management in plural-
istic and reforming health systems
* Roles of different stakeholders including health workers, tra-
ditional healers, research organisations and the pharmaceutical
industry
* The international context, global treaties and national drug
policy
* Treatment guidelines, essential drug lists and personal drug
lists
* Patterns of drug use, strategies for the promotion of rational
drug use and community drug use
* Antimicrobial resistance and approaches for containment
* Drug quality and quality assurance
* Rational management of HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis re-
lated treatment within their respective global initiatives
* Framework and components of a drug supply system including
procurement and distribution
* Elements of drug costs, affordability and financing options
* Critical drug information management
TARGET GROUP
Health professionals and managers with experience (at least two
years) in the health sector and in the pharmaceutical sector.
DURATION
2 weeks (90 hours student investment time).
Equivalent to 3 ECTS points towards the tropEd European Master
in International Health.
COURSE FORMAT
The course language is English. The course combines lectures,
in-depth discussions of case studies, short presentations, small
group exercises and field visits. The course is highly partici-
patory and participants will be exposed to a wide range of in-
ternational experiences and materials.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please fill in the application form carefully and include all
required documents.
COURSE FEE
The total course fee is CHF 1,500.- (Swiss Francs) and must be
paid 4 weeks before the start of the course. This sum includes
the registration fee (CHF 100.-) which is due at the moment of
acceptance. If a participant does not attend the course, the
registration fee cannot be reimbursed. If cancellation is less
than 4 weeks before beginning of the course an additional fee of
CHF 500.- will be charged. Cost for international flights and
accommodation/full board in Ifakara must be added. Details on
the prices can be given on request
There are only very limited scholarships available for this
course.
LOCATION
Ifakara Training Centre
Ifakara
Tanzania
COURSE FACULTY
The course is facilitated by international and national experts.
The academic panel will include a number of highly experienced
professionals from WHO, MEDUNSA, Heidelberg, Phasuma and STI.
COURSE COORDINATORS
Dr. Karin Wiedenmayer (STI)
www.sti.ch
Dr. Reinhard Huss (Heidelberg)
www.hyg.uni-heidelberg.de/ithoeg/teaching
CONTACT ADDRESS
Swiss Tropical Institute
Course Secretariat
Socinstrasse 57
P.O Box
CH - 4002 Basel / Switzerland
Tel: + 41-61-284-8280
Fax: + 41-61-284-8106
mailto:courses-sti@unibas.ch
THE SWISS TROPICAL INSTITUTE
The Swiss Tropical Institute (STI) was founded in 1943. The STI
offers an interdisciplinary approach to research, teaching and
services in the field of International Health.
The aim of the STI is to contribute to the improvement of the
health of populations internationally and nationally through ex-
cellence in research, services and teaching and training. The
activities of the Institute in the framework of its national and
international mandates has led to its world-wide recognition in
the field of International Health.
The STI has significant expertise in the pharmaceutical sector
with both teaching and training, research, clinical trials, ser-
vices and in international development cooperation. The unit
"Teaching and Training" offers postgraduate courses in various
topics for health staff.
TROPED
A collaborative network of 27 Tropical Institutes and related
institutions in 13 different countries in Europe offers a joint
modular Master�s Curriculum in International Health (MIH). The
Diploma Course �Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries
� HCMTC� at STI is equivalent to the core course for this de-
gree.
Candidates for the Master's degree will be required to take fur-
ther advanced modules in at least 2 other network-institutions
and to carry out a master thesis according to MIH requirements.
The whole curriculum corresponds to one year full time work. The
modular structure allows the stu dies to be spread over 5 years.
For further information see: http://www.troped.org
--
Reinhard Huss, MD MPH
University of Heidelberg
Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health
Office: Bergheimer Str.20
Im Neuenheimer Feld 324
69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Tel: +49-6221-565048
Fax: +49-6221-565039
mailto:reinhard.huss@urz.uni-heidelberg.de