E-DRUG: Additions: 5 minutes survey: LEISHMANIASIS medicine - emphasis COUNTRY and PROCUREMENT perspectives
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear correspondents,
A few days ago you received an email about a quick survey to explore access barriers to effective supply of anti-leishmania drugs and diagnostics, as part of an EU-funded project on Access to Care of Leishmaniasis in Africa. We are conducting a study focusing on supply and pharmaceutical barriers on the medicines for neglected tropical disease (NTD).
Diagnosis and treatment are the main strategies for controlling the disease endemic in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. The visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, is fatal without treatment.
Leishmaniasis is not amenable to preventive chemotherapy through mass drug administration. However, available drugs are old, toxic, too expensive or come from single producer. Shortages have been reported in the past, and new medicines are sorely needed.
I am writing to you again to invite you to participate in this short survey aiming to explore barriers to effective supply of this NTD commodities.
1. If you currently live/work in the countries above, here is the survey for you (COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE)
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/36VNFDN
2. If you are doing/have done procurement for any of the countries above, or who are/had been working in procurement or supply agencies, here is the survey for you (PROCURER )
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/59JR3LK
Your response will be anonymized and by doing this you are providing valuable input towards advocacy in securing access to medicines of a life threatening disease of kala-azar. Please also kindly let me know should you be willing to speak more about the issue in an in-depth interview (by phone or Skype).
Your help is highly appreciated and many thanks in advance,
Temmy Sunyoto, MD MPH
Unit of Epidemiology and Control of Tropical Diseases
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp
www.itg.be
<http://www.euroleish.net>
Temmy Sunyoto <tsunyoto@itg.be>