More healthcare news snippets ...

Cancer a huge threat in Africa

CANCER will cause more deaths than TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS combined, a fact that most people are not aware of, according to Dr DH Mwakyusa, Tanzania's Health and Social Welfare Minister, speaking at the opening ceremony of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer's (Aortic) 7th International Cancer Conference in Dar es Salaam. Held every two years, the conference serves as both an educational and scientific event for those involved in cancer control. This year the theme is "Cancer in Africa - the new reality". According to Dr Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer from the American Cancer Society (ACS), "the growing global cancer burden is a public health paradox". The ACS is a partner of Aortic in raising global awareness on the disease and playing an advocacy role. Brawley said that while the disease was largely preventable and highly treatable when detected early, it was "expected to become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2010". He echoed Mwakyusa's statement that cancer was killing more people in the developing world than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat: The Star, 16 November 2009

Generic drug makers form body

GENERIC drug makers in the Southern Africa Development Community have formed a new industry body called the Southern African Generic Medicines Association. The initiative is led by the National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of SA and has been sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Members include Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, SA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Tamar Kahn: Business day, 7 December 2009

Body eyes one SADC drug market

THE Southern African Generics Medicines Association (Sagma) was established last week with the aim of encouraging self-sufficiency among the region's pharmaceutical firms and creating bigger markets for the companies. With all the pharmaceutical companies coming together, it would mean they would have access to a combined market of 250 million people as opposed to the smaller markets in their respective countries. Sagma, which currently has 17 members from nine of the 14 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, will drive initiatives to seek solutions to challenges faced by drug makers in the region. Skhumbuzo Ngozwana, the chairman of Sagma, said the association would facilitate information-sharing and address issues such as lack of access to finance, providing quality and affordable medicines, encouraging regional harmonisation, giving private sector input into policy formation, expanding markets and encouraging creation of partnerships. Ngozwana said the group would be on a recruitment drive and membership was open to individual companies and other associations from all 14 countries in the region. The association will be funded by subscriptions from members, but the figure has not been determined yet. Ngozwana said Sagma might in future lobby for the local manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), but said ultimately it was up to the governments to incentivise firms to invest in APIs because they were expensive. Vicki Ehrich of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of SA said it appeared to be a positive move to work with broader surroundings. Val Beaumont, the executive director at Innovative Medicines SA, said South Africa had a robust medicines regulatory authority that set and enforced minimum quality standards for medicines. She said the Sagma initiative was an opportunity to extend these principles and stimulate access to quality generic medicines in the broader SADC region.

Slindile Khanyile: Business Report, 8 December 2009

AIDS lobby group honoured on anniversary

THE Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) will celebrate its 11th anniversary with an international award for outstanding human rights work for people living with HIV and AIDS. The TAC said would receive the Human Rights Award of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation on today - which is also International Human Rights Day. The award, established in 1994, is awarded annually to individuals or organisations which have rendered outstanding services for human rights. Vuyiseka Dubula, the lobby group's general secretary, said among the TAC's achievements in the past decade were exposing the previous government's "denialism" of the pandemic, reducing the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, and pushing for AIDS to become part of the political agenda. She added that the organisation had also fought with big pharmaceutical companies to ensure the price of antiretrovirals was significantly reduced and that the government finally implemented the AIDS policy.

Nkosana Lekotjolo: The Times, 10 December 2009
SAPA, 10 December 2009

Controversial former Health Minister dies

MANTO Tshabalala-Msimang, the controversial former Health Minister, died yesterday of complications related to her previous liver transplant. The African National Congress (ANC) paid tribute to Tshabalala-Msimang, saying: "We pay homage to this gallant fighter and will forever treasure the contribution she made in the struggle for liberation and the building of our democracy." A statement from the Presidency said Tshabalala-Msimang had "contributed effectively" to the care of mothers and children. In the statement, President Jacob Zuma expressed his condolences to the family of Tshabalala-Msimang. Young Communist League spokeswoman Gugu Ndima said although the league had different views to Tshabalala-Msimang's HIV/AIDS policy, they respected her for the role she played during the struggle against apartheid.

Sibongakonke Shoba: Business Day with SAPA, 17 December 2009