The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to create a common platform to better coordinate the work of partners and stakeholders in forecasting, procuring and distributing antileishmanial medicines.
“Sharing of accurate information will greatly help the planning and distribution of medicines to affected regions and countries” said Dr José Postigo, Medical Officer in charge of WHO’s leishmaniasis control and elimination programme. “This will result in improved financial flows, quantification, inventory and information management, providing better access to populations in need.”
The major challenge in the timely distribution of antileishmanials is assuring their affordability, uninterrupted supply and the readiness of a supply system. Currently, partners and stakeholders involved in the process plan their procurement, storage and distribution independently.
WHO’s first stakeholders’ meeting on access to quality-assured medicines for leishmaniasis control and elimination agreed that a harmonious approach will greatly improve treatment outcomes in all settings. The meeting, held on 19 May 2016 at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland also discussed quality, registration and price of medicines.
“We appreciate the support of partners for antileishmanial medicines that has been ongoing for several decades” said Dr Dirk Engels, Director of the WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “Sharing information can greatly help in defining a coordinated and coherent strategy.”
WHO has agreements with two manufacturers, Gilead and Sanofi, and is extending and exploring possibilities with other manufacturers to assure price stability. In 2015, the NTD Department proposed the addition of sodium stibogluconate (SSG), paromomycin and meglumine antimoniate to the list of product manufacturers invited to express their interest to prequalify; manufacturers of SSG and paromomycin will initiate the process by applying to WHO’s Expert Review Panel.
The meeting aimed also to review the global estimated need for medicines as well as to identify gaps and key challenges faced by countries and partners in procuring quality-assured medicines. The need to jointly develop a strategy to fill gaps and overcome challenges is crucial.
“Inadequate access to antileishmanial medicines of assured quality is a major barrier to any control or elimination programme” said Dr Daniel Argaw Dagne, WHO Coordinator of Innovative and Intensified Disease Management, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “This is the challenge in many countries where the leishmaniases are endemic and this despite the efforts of governments, WHO and partners.”
The meeting prioritized the following actions to guide activities towards enhanced access to quality-assured medicines in endemic countries:
- Contact selected pharmaceutical companies to address quality issues or ensure continuity of manufacturing of antileishmanial medicines;
- Identify status of current registration of medicines in affected countries;
- Develop a business case for pooled procurement and support from donors; and
- Include access to diagnostics in future discussions and meetings.
Participants from the Drugs for Neglected Tropical Initiative (DNDi), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), KalaCORE and the IDA Foundation attended the meeting.