Ten per cent of individuals infected with TB develop the active disease but this is greatly increased in those whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV. This report highlights the difficulty in managing the co-epidemic of HIV and TB and identifies priority areas in need of further research: better population-based data on the incidence of drug-resistant TB is required, increased laboratory capacity is needed to make the currently difficult diagnosis of co-infection of HIV-TB accessible to a larger proportion of Africans, more child-specific research is needed especially on paediatric drug formulations. The low uptake of drugs that treat co-infection remains a real problem, with concerns over drug efficacy and the creation of drug resistant strains of TB cited as the main reasons. The report concludes that strategies for dealing with TB and HIV currently exist in isolation, often reinforced by vertical programme financing. Efforts must be made to integrate these disease treatment programmes which will involve stakeholders working together within an evidence based collaborative framework.
Equitable health services
Malaria remains a leading global health problem that requires the improved use of existing interventions and the accelerated development of new control methods. In this editorial we reflect on the possibility of eradicating malaria in infants in Africa with the introduction of the malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS02D.
The purpose of this declaration is to raise awareness of the magnitude of the cancer burden in Africa and to call for immediate action to bring comprehensive care to African countries. The establishment of cancer care programmes in African countries requires the integration of clinical and public health systems. A comprehensive cancer control strategy must bring together prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. More investment is needed to deliver these services in terms of trained staff, equipment, relevant drugs and information systems, as well as public education.
This report presents a draft of the proposed Essential Heath Package (EHP) and its costing for Malawi. It is intended to stimulate comment and debate, and to move the process to a final stage whereby the contents can be incorporated into a broader implementation plan for the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and partners. By MOHP, we mean the various departments at headquarters, the technical programmes, and the districts who will ultimately deliver the EHP services.
Based on this scientific information and WHO recommendations of changing to combination therapy, the Ministry of Health has adopted the use of Artemesinin based Combination Therapy (ACT) as 1st line treatment of uncomplicated malaria. There is therefore need to implement a new antimalarial treatment policy using ACTs. The Ministry of Health has developed these guidelines for malaria diagnosis, treatment and prevention with an aim of improving malaria case management by health workers and having a harmonized approach in efforts aimed at the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to malaria.
Existing school health programmes in Uganda target children above five years for de-worming, oral hygiene and frequent vaccination of girls of reproductive age. This study assessed primary school children's perspectives on common diseases they experience and medicines used in order to suggest reforms for school healthcare programmes and priority setting. Children named and ranked malaria as the most severe and frequently experienced disease. Other diseases mentioned included diarrhoea, skin fungal infections, flu, and typhoid.The symptoms children recognised in case of illness were high body temperature, vomiting, headache, weakness, appetite loss and diarrhoea. Children were either given medicines by the school nurse or they selfmedicated using pharmaceuticals including chloroquine, panadol, flagyl, fansidar, quinine injections, capsules (amoxicillin and ampicillin) obtained from the clinics, drug shops, pharmacies,and other unspecified indigenous medicines from their home and markets.
In the quest to improve the safety of health services and thus align ourselves in part with the international challenges set by the World Health Organisation Global Patient Safety drive, a National Infection Prevention Strategy and Control Policy and accompanying strategy have been developed and presented to all health care personnel in the country.
The goal of this policy is to help management and staff minimize the risk of TB transmission in health care facilities and other facilities where the risk of transmission of TB may be high due to high prevalence of both diagnosed and undiagnosed TB such as prisons.
Experts warn of impending crisis in health systems geared towards epidemics not chronic diseases such as cancer. Unless urgent attention is paid to decreasing the burden of cancer, there are going to be catastrophic results especially in Africa and parts of Asia, experts warned at a gathering in Cape Town in October 2007. Thirty countries in Africa and Asia had no access whatsoever to radiotherapy.
At the close of breast cancer awareness month, cancer organisations say proper testing and treatment services for breat cancer are completely inadequate. Breast cancer organisations are concerned that early detection and treatment services are severely lacking in South Africa where over 3 000 women die from this disease annually. The Breast Cancer Advocacy Coalition have sent a memorandum to the South African health department asking it to improve services. The coalition calls for a comprehensive breast health service that is equitable, available, affordable and accessible to all women in South Africa.