The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66786

Andrey Zagorskiy¹, Tom Moore², and Alix Beith¹. (1) RPM Plus Program/Center for Pharmaceutical Management, Management Sciences of Health, 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-524-6575, azagorskiy@msh.org, (2) Center for Pharmaceutical Management, Stop TB/Management Sciences of Health, 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22203

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one the world’s leading causes of death from a curable infectious disease. It is especially disturbing because effective TB treatment using relatively inexpensive drugs has been available for more than 50 years.

The enormous threat posed by TB resurgence has triggered a global response, the backbone of which is the DOTS strategy, promoted by the international community since the early 1990s and deemed “one of the most cost-effective of all health interventions” by the World Bank. A key part of the DOTS strategy is the assurance of an uninterrupted supply of quality TB drugs. This is supported by recent global initiatives, including Stop TB and the Global Drug Facility (GDF), and by activities of donor agencies and programs aimed at building capacity to manage TB drugs properly at all levels of the TB control system.

In drug management terms, the success of DOTS depends on an unbroken cycle of effectively selecting, procuring, distributing, and using TB drugs. For this to occur, a number of political, institutional, logistical and behavioral challenges - to name just a few - must be overcome. This presentation will draw from program experiences in Central Asia to first assess barriers to drug access and then design and implement interventions to address barriers in Kazakhstan and Romania.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
• understand the importance of drug management for success of National TB Programs (NTP),
• identify a framework for looking at TB drug management challenges,
• identify potential solutions to improving availability and use of TB drugs in NTP.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Access to Care

Related Web page: www.msh.org/rpmplus

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Management Sciences for Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employed by Management Sciences for Health, a non-profit organization that provides health management consulting services