[e-drug] Course: Rational Management of Medicines-focus on HIV, TB, malaria

E-DRUG: Course: Rational Management of Medicines-focus on HIV, TB, malaria
--------------------------------------------

Dear colleagues,

we are pleased to announce the tenth international postgraduate training
course on

RATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF MEDICINES-
A FOCUS ON HIV/AIDS, TB AND MALARIA

1 November - 12 November 2010
Pretoria, South Africa

Below you will find a summary of this course.

If you are interested to attend, please check our website for the complete
course description and the application form or send an email to:
courses-sti@unibas.ch

For any questions or remarks, do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Course Secretariat
Socinstrasse 57
P.O Box
CH - 4002 Basel / Switzerland
Tel.: + 41 61 284 82 80
Fax: + 41 61 284 81 06
E-mail: courses-sti@unibas.ch
Internet: www.swisstph.ch

----------------------------------------

RATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF MEDICINES-
A FOCUS ON HIV/AIDS, TB AND MALARIA

CONTENTS OVERVIEW
Health is an intrinsic human right as well as a central input to poverty
reduction and socioeconomic development. Cost-effective interventions
including medicines for controlling major diseases exist, but a lack of
money for health and a range of system constraints hamper efforts to expand
health services to the poor.

From penicillin to insulin, antiseptics to antiretrovirals, science has led

to dramatic improvements in health worldwide. Medicines are an essential
and cost-effective tool of health care and an important element of health
systems. Yet the main diseases of poverty such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis continue to claim innumerable lives in low income countries.
Today, for millions of people worldwide essential medicines remain
unavailable and unaffordable. Irrational medicine use is a global public
health problem. Counterfeit and poor quality medicines are an additional
barrier to equitable access to medicines. Millions of adults and children
die each year from treatable and preventable diseases.

There is an urgent need to develop adequate strategies that ensure better
access to medicines. It is about getting evidence-based and effective
medicines to the people who need them, whether by reducing their costs,
promoting research and development, improving their distribution,
increasing their efficacy and acceptability, or slowing down the
development of antimicrobial resistance.

OBJECTIVES
To enable health professionals to understand and apply the concepts and
principles of essential medicines and rational medicine management with a
focus on the diseases of poverty HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, to
recognise the need for a national and international medicine policy
environment, to improve knowledge and skills and to gain practical field
experience for rational medicine management within different health system
contexts.

COURSE TOPICS

   Historic milestones and current global medicine situation
   Concept of essential medicines and its relevance in primary health care
   Principles of rational medicine management in pluralistic and reforming
   health systems
   Roles of different stakeholders including health workers, traditional
   healers, Ministry of Health, international organisations and the
   pharmaceutical industry
   The international context, Global Health Initiatives, global treaties
   and national medicine policy
   Treatment guidelines, essential medicine lists and personal medicine
   lists
   Patterns of medicine use and adherence, strategies for promoting
   rational medicine use
   Antimicrobial resistance and approaches for containment
   Medicine quality and quality assurance
   Rational management of HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis related
   treatment
   Framework and components of a medicine supply system including
   procurement and distribution
   Elements of medicine costs, affordability and financing options

TARGET GROUP
Health professionals and managers with experience (at least two years) in
international health and the pharmaceutical sector.

DURATION
2 weeks (90 hours student investment time). Equivalent to 3 ECTS points
towards the TropEd European Master in International Health. A certificate
will be awarded after successful completion.

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 participatory and participants will be
exposed to a wide range of international experiences and materials.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please contact the course secretariat for an application form.
Application deadline: 31 August 2010

COURSE FEE
The total course fee is CHF 2800.- (Swiss Francs) including tuition,
accommodation/full board and must be paid 8 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 must be added. Travel to South
Africa has to be organized by the participant.

There are only very limited scholarships available for this course.

LOCATION
The course will be held in Pretoria, South Africa. The Department of
Pharmacy of the Medunsa Campus (previously the Medical University of
Southern Africa) is the host organization. As the capital city of South
Africa, Pretoria offers a wide range of cultural, social and
infrastructural facilities and activities. A full range of public, private
and NGO-based health care facilities is available in Pretoria, from primary
health care and ART clinics to tertiary academic hospitals. The health care
infrastructure provides opportunities for firsthand exposure to all the
components and organizations required to ensure the rational management of
medicines. The course will include site visits to some of these facilities
to ensure successful interaction between theory and practice.

COURSE FACULTY
The course is facilitated by international and national experts. The
academic panel will include a number of highly experienced professionals
from various institutions.

COURSE COORDINATORS
Dr. Karin Wiedenmayer (SwissTPH)
Prof. Rob Summers (Medunsa)

----------------------------------------------------------------
Karin Wiedenmayer, MSc, PharmD
Swiss Centre for International Health
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Socinstrasse 57
CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
T+41 61 284 81 26
F+41 61 284 81 03
karin.wiedenmayer@unibas.ch
www.swisstph.ch / www.scih.ch