Two-day Regional TB medicines manufacturers' workshop opens

Saturday, 11 May 2013 12:44

Written by Ghanaweb Health

Accra, May 10, GNA - A two-day regional workshop for manufacturers of second line Tuberculosis medicines opened in Accra on Thursday with a call on participants to ensure that they obtained the World Health Organisation's (WHO) prequalification status.

The workshop, is being organised by Pharmacopeia of the United States with funding from US Agency International Development, is on the theme: 'Promoting the Quality of Medicines'.

It aims at educating manufacturers of second line medicines which is used to treat multi-resistant varieties of the Tuberculosis (TB) disease.

Dr Patrick Lukulay, Director Promoting the Quality of Medicine Programme (PQM), said the information from the workshop would enable the manufacturers to understand the WHO's prequalifying standards.

He said manufacturers, who participate in the programme and meet the prequalification standards, would be able to sell their products outside their home countries to the United Nations and the Global Fund, which together buy billions of dollars of medicines each year.

Dr Lukulay said products from manufacturers must be WHO prequalified or approved by a stringent regulatory authorities such as the US and Japanese Foods and Drug Agencies and the European FDA.

He said to facilitate manufacturers' access to the prequalification standards, PQM has been reaching out to potential manufacturers of the second line medicines in regions of the world with a high burden of TB.

Dr Lukulay said, the earlier the manufacturers work with PQM to prepare their dossier for the WHO Prequalification Programme, the better it would be for them to get the opportunity.

He said WHO minimum standards also helps companies meet international standards and in the process reduce the production of sub-standard products.

GNA

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President Mahama asked to establish Mental Health Board

Saturday, 11 May 2013 12:44

Written by Ghanaweb Health

Accra, May 10, GNA - Dr Akwasi Osei, Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to as a matter of urgency establish the Mental Health Board, to help enhance activities of the health institution.

The Medical Director also explained that the formation of any such Board would help the hospital to offer efficient mental health care to patients.

Dr. Osei made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of a two-day annual performance review of Mental Health Services in Ghana, on Wednesday in Accra.

He said the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Pantang Mental Hospital and Ankaful Mental Hospital; the major mental health institutions, needed a Mental Health Board to direct the activities of these facilities on how to survive.

Dr Osei said the hospitals were faced with huge financial challenge that had ''pushed the facilities to keep downsizing mental health patients in their units though the number keep increasing at the Out Patients Department (OPD).

He noted that psychiatric cases at the OPD had gone up as the country's population went up.

Dr Osei expressed hope that the 2012 report on the hospitals that indicated woeful inadequate and irregular funding, decrease of staff, would enable the Ministry of Health have better appreciation of problems and press for the immediate establishment of the Board.

Dr Gloria Quansah - Asare, who represented Dr Osei at the event, said there was the need for the major psychiatric hospitals to work with regional and district hospitals in the country to promote mental health delivery.

She said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was discussing with the Nurses and Midwives Council and the University of Cape Coast the possibility of introducing a degree programme in Mental and Community Health Nursing, which was expected to commence this year.

She gave the assurance that the GHS would continue to collaborate with the psychiatric hospitals to provide good quality care to people with mentally problems.

Professor J. B Asare, Consultant Psychiatrist, asked all heads of departments at the psychiatric hospitals to consider themselves as managers to improve mental health care in the country.

Madam Cynthia Sottie, Focal Person, at the Ministry of Health noted that the passing of a Mental Health Act would help promote mental health care.

She said the GHS was working with the Mental Health Authority on a Mental Health Strategic Plan that had reached the final stage.