E-DRUG: Bedaquiline treatment reaches patients in Uganda, Swaziland, Philippines & Georgia
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The Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS)
Program works with countries to adopt new medicines and regimens, such as
bedaquiline for MDR-TB, using a systems strengthening approach that engages
stakeholders, builds on existing systems or establishes new ones where
appropriate, strengthens human resources via trainings, improves the
distribution chain for new TB medicines, and records and reports
information for decision making in relevant areas.
SIAPS promotes stewardship and pharmaceutical governance by working with
national TB programs (NTPs) to coordinate all in-country partners and define roles
and responsibilities for the programmatic implementation of these new medicines
and regimens. The intent is to prevent parallel systems and duplication of
efforts in resource-limited settings. The overall goal is to introduce new
TB medicines and regimens in a sustainable way that builds on the country's
strengths and fortifies its areas of weakness.
To date, SIAPS has successfully worked with NTPs in several countries to
introduce bedaquiline, update MDR-TB guidelines, and build the capacity of
clinicians to manage patients on new medicines. In Uganda, for example, 12
patients have received treatment with bedaquiline and 124 health care
workers have been trained on how to manage patients on bedaquiline,
delamanid, and the nine-month regimen.
To improve patient safety, SIAPS has also worked with the Swaziland NTP
by providing technical assistance in the introduction of new TB medicines
as well as active surveillance of adverse events through the National
Pharmacovigilance Unit, which is a required component of new TB medicine use.
As of January 2017, 93 people have beenor are currently on bedaquiline treatment.
In the Philippines, SIAPS supported the NTP to introduce bedaquiline,
and 68 patients have enrolled in treatment to date.
Georgia, the first country that SIAPS worked with to introduce bedaquiline,
had enrolled 246 patients as of December 2016.
SIAPS' successes in increasing the uptake of new tools, including
bedaquiline, in the fight against TB has addressed the common challenges of
a lack of expertise, infrastructure, and appropriate systems to monitor the
efficacy, safety, and potential adverse effects of these medicines to
strengthen health systems.
For more info see: http://newtbdruginfo.org/
Kelly Sawyer, MPH
Technical Advisor, TB
Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS)
Management Sciences for Health
4301 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
United States
ksawyer@msh.org