7 September 2004
The Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang officially opened a pharmacovigilance centre that monitors the impact of antiretroviral drugs, complementary and traditional medicines used amongst people with HIV and AIDS at Medunsa today.
The centre will detect, assess and prevent adverse reaction to antiretroviral drugs and traditional medicines when used amongst adults with HIV and AIDS. The centre at Medunsa will work together with a Bloemfontein University-based surveillance centre which monitors the use of antiretroviral amongst children and pregnant women.
These centres are established as part of Government's Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and AIDS which provides a number of services for people living with HIV and AIDS including psychosocial support, nutrition, traditional and complementary medicines and antiretroviral therapy.
"When we developed the Comprehensive Plan, we emphasised that this programme should provide safe and quality health services to people living with HIV and AIDS. We do appreciate the need to extend life whilst the search for a cure for HIV and AIDS continues. As we proceed with this mammoth task, we will also take this opportunity to encourage general reporting of adverse drug reaction and better patient management and care," said Minister Tshabalala-Msimang during the launch.
The Comprehensive Plan adopted by Cabinet in November last year acknowledges that antiretroviral drugs can become less effective if they are not administered and monitored properly. It also notes that these drugs have toxic side effects for some patients.
Because of these reasons, the Plan emphasizes the importance of adherence to treatment and the need to monitor patient safety and the impact of treatment. The plan proposes a comprehensive programme of pharmacovigilance in order to monitor the efficacy of the drugs that are being used.
The center at Medunsa has been established (as part of the implementation of the Plan) to determine the burden of drug-related morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV and AIDS, particularly associated with ARV use, and develop measures to minimize the negative impact of the drugs.
It will provide training and information to health personnel and patients on the safe use of antiretrovirals and other medicines commonly used amongst people with HIV and AIDS and develop systems to assess the risks and benefits of treatments commonly used in patients with HIV, STI and TB.
Pharmacovigilance has been added in the new Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Drug List launched by the Department of Health yesterday. The guidelines will encourage and assist health professionals to report adverse drug reaction.
The centre will support regulatory and public health decision-making through an efficient surveillance system that monitors quality, benefits and risk associated with ARVs and other medicines currently used in the health sector. It will also respond to safety issues related to complementary and traditional medicines used in HIV-infected patients.
"We all want to improve the quality of life and promote safe use of all medicines. The expectations are high and there is a lot of enthusiasm amongst various stakeholders. This institution is established to protect and promote the interest of patients and the public and should not at any point shift from this objective," said Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
Issued by Ministry of Health
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Charity Bhengu
Department of Health: Communication
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