Showing posts with label Malaria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaria. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

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Thursday, August 25, 2022

First African-Manufactured Medicine to Prevent Malaria in Pregnant Women and Infants Approved By WHO

PRESS RELEASE
First African-Manufactured Medicine to Prevent Malaria in Pregnant Women and Infants Quality-Approved by World Health Organization (WHO)
Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL), with support from MMV and Unitaid, becomes the first African manufacturer to gain WHO prequalification of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine
GENEVA, Switzerland, August 25, 2022/ -- Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) is a well-tolerated, effective and affordable medicine used to prevent malaria in pregnant women and infants; Nearly all malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa, yet until now, the continent was completely reliant on imported quality-assured SP; This breakthrough responds to the need for local production of quality medicines for use in Africa, a major gap that was critically highlighted when the COVID-19 pandemic left the continent with limited access to vital health products in 2020.

Local supply of a medicine used to prevent malaria across Africa received a boost recently, as the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a quality certification to the first African manufacturer of a key antimalarial drug used to prevent infection in pregnant women and children. 

Called pre-qualification, this certification will enable Kenyan manufacturer Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL) to support regional efforts to combat malaria through local production of high-quality sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). UCL’s pre-qualification was achieved with funding from global health agency Unitaid and support from MMV.

Pre-qualification is a service provided by WHO to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products. Quality assurance of UCL’s SP product Wiwal® opens a route for procurement by global scale-up partners that will improve access and help strengthen Africa’s ability to combat endemic diseases.

“Unitaid welcomes the certification of UCL to produce this quality-assured antimalarial medicine in Africa, where about 95% of all illness and death from malaria occurs. Reinforcing local production of medicines where they are needed most is critical to building stronger and more resilient health responses,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.

Young children and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to the burden of malaria, with children under five accounting for 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa. SP is a generally well-tolerated, effective, and affordable medicine used to prevent malaria, yet adequate delivery and scale-up of these interventions are hampered in part by inadequate and unstable supply and, until now, have completely relied on imported or poor-quality drugs.

“UCL is committed to supplying the African continent with quality medicines that are most needed by the people who live here. We are not only the first pharmaceutical company to receive pre-qualification of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Africa, but one of only five manufacturers in Africa to have received this quality certification for any product. We’re filling a much-needed gap,” said Perviz Dhanani, Founder and Managing Director of UCL.

The lack of pre-qualified manufacturers in Africa raises concerns about the quality of medicines and supply insecurities that compromise the treatment of chronic and infectious diseases – risks that were clearly revealed when COVID-19 disrupted global supply chains and left Africa with limited access to vital products. The production of quality medicines on the African continent is critical not only for the safety of Africa’s people but also for supporting regional supply availability and diversification in global production of medicines.

Increased supply of SP is crucial to the long-term success of Unitaid’s malaria chemoprevention strategy, which includes nearly US$ 160 million invested to date to optimize and scale up delivery of SP through seasonal delivery and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnant women and infants. With Unitaid funding, MMV is working to strengthen global supply chains and support appropriate use of quality medicines critical to the malaria response.

“Researchers and manufacturers from the countries hardest hit by malaria must be at the forefront of efforts to defeat the disease, which is why we welcome this wonderful news,” said David Reddy, MMV’s CEO. “We congratulate Universal Corporation Ltd for becoming the first African manufacturer to receive WHO pre-qualification for SP for the prevention of malaria in pregnant women and infants and are delighted to have partnered with them in this effort.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Medicines for Malaria Venture.
 
Notes for Editors
Media Contacts:
Elizabeth Poll, Director of Communications MMV
Phone +41 79 709 59 92
Email: polle@mmv.org

Thalia Bayle, Communications Officer Unitaid
Phone: +41 79 660 56 37
Email: baylet@unitaid.who.int

Additional quotes
“We at Africa CDC gladly welcome the news of Universal Corporation Ltd receiving a WHO Prequalification for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine,” said Dr Nicaise Ndembi, Africa CDC’s Chief Science Advisor. “This is the result of a remarkable collaborative effort through UCL, MMV and Unitaid, and aligns with our purpose to support public health initiatives and strengthen the capacity of public health institutions.”

“The news of Universal Corporation Ltd receiving a WHO Prequalification for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is incredible news,” said Ms Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance and MMV Board member. “Ensuring the availability and accessibility of quality treatment for underserved communities, particularly women, newborns, and children who are disproportionately at high risk of death from malaria is a critical component to the full realization of the right to health.”

Background on the malaria burden
According to the latest World Malaria Report (https://bit.ly/3wsvUv4), released on 6 December 2021, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria and 627,000 resulting deaths worldwide in 2020. This represents about 14 million more cases in 2020 compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths. Approximately two-thirds of these additional deaths (47,000) were linked to disruptions in the provision of malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The WHO African Region continues to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2020, the region was home to 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of all deaths. About 80% of all malaria deaths in the region are among children under five years of age.

In 2020, six countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3%) and Burkina Faso (3%).

Background on seasonal malaria chemoprevention, perennial malaria chemoprevention and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy 
There are a number of recommended malaria prevention interventions targeted at those most vulnerable to malaria infection and adverse effects (pregnant women, infants, children) that depend on the accessibility of SP. Adequate supply of SP is crucial to achieving scale up of these interventions to benefit all those at risk across the African continent.

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a preventive treatment strategy for children under five living in areas of the Sahel and sub-Sahel at greatest risk of seasonal malaria. It involves administering monthly doses of SP to children during peak malaria season. Unitaid invested US$ 68 million in the first evaluation to determine the effectiveness of SMC on a large scale, a strategy which contributed to a reduction in malaria infections in children of more than 85%. According to the latest World Malaria Report, in 2020, 33 million children were reached with SMC.

Perennial malaria chemoprevention (PMC) is another strategy for preventing malaria in infants and children, in areas where malaria transmission is not seasonal. Those belonging to age groups at high risk of severe malaria are recommended to receive antimalarial medicines at predefined intervals to reduce disease burden.

Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) is recommended by WHO in malaria-endemic areas to reduce disease burden in pregnant women. This intervention relies on administration of at least three doses of SP, starting as early as possible in the second trimester and spaced at least one month apart.  

Unitaid is currently funding a large-scale project to generate operational evidence that will help implementers scale-up PMC in higher burden areas. This project is building on the success of the recent TIPTOP project, a Unitaid investment that demonstrated innovative ways to reach more women with IPTp across Africa.

Background on strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access
Attaining the highest standard of health is a fundamental right for all. Access to quality‐assured, safe, effective, and affordable medicines and other health technologies for all is a  specific component of the Sustainable Development Goals target 3.81 and in achieving Universal health coverage. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3wsL1Vc  

About the partners

About Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL):
UCL is a Kenyan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company based in Kikuyu Township, Kiambu County in the Outskirts the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi.

The UCL manufacturing plant has been accredited with GMP certification by the local authorities (Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya) and international quality compliance by various DRAs (Drug Regulatory Authorities). Currently, UCL manufactures over 100 formulations of Human medicines. This manufacturing capability is divided as per the dosage forms produced in each line & includes tablets, capsules, ointments, creams & powder (ORS).

The long-term plan of the company is to expand its specialty lines to cover all medical specialties. As quality is a major concern, the manufacturing department is manned by highly qualified and trained staff who undergo regular training on GMP procedures. For more information, visit http://UCL.co.ke

About Unitaid:
Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, cheaply, and effectively, in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization. For more information, visit http://www.Unitaid.org  

About Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV):
MMV is a leading product development partnership (PDP) in the field of antimalarial drug research and development. Its mission is to reduce the burden of malaria in disease-endemic countries by discovering, developing and facilitating delivery of new, effective and affordable antimalarial drugs.

MMV receives funding and support from government agencies, private foundations, international organizations, corporations, corporate foundations and private individuals. These funds are used to finance MMV’s portfolio of R&D projects, as well as specific, targeted access & product management (APM) interventions that aim to facilitate increased access to malaria medicines by vulnerable populations in disease-endemic countries and support their appropriate use.

Since its foundation in 1999, MMV and partners have built the largest portfolio of antimalarial R&D and access projects ever assembled and have brought forward 13 new medicines. Almost 3 million lives have been saved by these MMV co-developed medicines. MMV's success is based on its extensive partnership network of around 150 active partners including from the pharmaceutical industry, academia and endemic countries. 

MMV's vision is a world in which innovative medicines will cure and protect the vulnerable and under-served populations at risk of malaria, and help to ultimately eradicate this terrible disease. For more information, visit http://www.MMV.org

MMV Disclaimer:
This document contains certain forward-looking statements that may be identified by words such as ‘believes’, ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘projects’, ‘intends’, ‘should’, ‘seeks’, ‘estimates’, ‘future’ or similar expressions, or by discussion of, among other things, vision, strategy, goals, plans, or intentions. It contains hypothetical future product target profiles, development timelines and approval/launch dates, positioning statements, claims and actions for which the relevant data may still have to be established. Stated or implied strategies and action items may be implemented only upon receipt of approvals including, but not limited to, local institutional review board approvals, local regulatory approvals, and following local laws and regulations. Thus, actual results, performances or events may differ from those expressed or implied by such statements.  

We ask you not rely unduly on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and its partner(s) regarding future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.   

MMV accepts no liability for the information presented here, nor for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of this information. Furthermore, MMV accepts no liability for the decisions made by its pharmaceutical partner(s), the impact of any of their decisions, their earnings and their financial status.

SOURCE
Medicines for Malaria Venture



Friday, July 16, 2010

Global Fund and Drug Manufacturers Cooperate to end deaths from Malaria

15 Jul 2010 19:30 Africa/Lagos

Agreements reduce prices of malaria medicines by up to 80 % / Global Fund and drug manufacturers cooperate to end deaths from malaria


KAMPALA, July 15, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Global Fund and six manufacturers of quality-assured malaria drugs have finalized agreements to place affordable life-saving malaria drugs within reach of millions of people in need, especially children. This public- private collaboration, a part of the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) Phase 1, will benefit 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Under the agreements, private importers will now pay up to 80% less than they did in 2008-2009 for the most effective malaria drugs (artemisinin-based combination therapies – ACTs), bringing the factory gate prices down to the same level as for public sector buyers. The AMFm will then subsidize purchases made by first-line buyers, all of whom have signed an undertaking to pass the benefit of low prices down the supply chain, thereby enabling the roughly 60% of malaria patients who obtain treatment in private shops to obtain the most effective treatments at affordable prices. Currently ACTs make up only 5% of treatments provided through the private sector. Orders of ACTs at these more affordable prices have already begun.

“These agreements bring us closer to the day when all who need malaria medicines will get them at affordable prices,” says Global Fund Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine, "Thanks to the cooperation of partners, manufacturers of quality-assured malaria medicines and leadership by countries, we will make malaria deaths history.”

The six manufacturers that have signed Master Supply Agreements with the Global Fund under the AMFm are: Ajanta Pharma, Cipla, Guilin, Ipca, Novartis and Sanofi-aventis. All six pharmaceutical companies meet the Global Fund's quality criteria for supplying ACTs to first-line buyers under the AMFm. Other manufacturers may participate in the AMFm, provided that they meet the quality criteria.

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) negotiated the agreements, which provide the terms and conditions under which the manufacturers would sell eligible ACTs to first-line buyers, and under which the Global Fund would make co-payment to those companies for qualifying purchases by wholesalers.

“No mother should have to worry whether or not she can access the malaria medicines that will save the life of her sick child. I am pleased my Health Access Initiative, building off of our experience lowering the costs of lifesaving malaria and HIV/AIDS medicines, could negotiate the agreements that enable AMFm to ensure effective, affordable ACTs are in the reach of the mothers and children that need them most,” says former US President Bill Clinton.

The conclusion of the manufacturer agreements is one of the first significant achievements of the AMFm. In a departure from prior practices, manufacturers will sell ACTs to first-line buyers from the private sector at the same reduced prices as they sell to those in the public sector, even before the AMFm makes a co-payment.

The manufacturers have also agreed to not market any oral artemisinin monotherapy, which are undesirable because they increase the risk of widespread resistance to the artemisinin in ACTs.

The Global Fund received pro bono legal support during the negotiations with manufacturers from Freshfields Bruckhouse Deringer LLP. The Global Fund warmly thanks Freshfields Bruckhouse Deringer LLP for their valuable contributions to this success.

In developing the logo for all co-paid ACTs under AMFm, the Global Fund received pro bono support from Programme for Accessible health Communication and Education (PACE), Uganda. The Global Fund also thanks PACE for their important contributions to this success.


Malaria and the AMFm


Malaria is a potentially deadly disease that is transmitted through mosquito bites and kills more than 2,000 children every day. Children make up nearly 90 percent of the nearly 900,000 people who die from malaria every year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.

The Global Fund is leading an innovation called the AMFm to reduce the price of effective malaria drugs so they can drive older, ineffective drugs out of the market, and help increase access to effective treatment of malaria. The proposition of AMFm is that a factory-gate global subsidy, combined with supporting activities at country level, will increase access to life-saving antimalarial medicines and also delay the onset of resistance to those medicines. Three elements constitute the AMFm: price reductions through negotiations with manufacturers of a class of malaria medicines called Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies or ACTs; a buyer subsidy in the form of a ‘co-payment' at the top of the global supply chain; and supporting activities to promote appropriate use of ACTs.

By working through the public, NGO and private sectors, AMFm will help to expand services beyond the reach of current financing mechanisms that work mostly through the public and NGO sectors.

"The AMFm is about getting better value for money so we get closer to the goal of universal access to malaria treatment. Tackling malaria is a key priority for the UK government and the AMFm aims to deliver real value for money - and will make a huge difference to the lives of some of the poorest people and help to prevent the spread of disease," says Andrew Mitchell, UK International Development Secretary.

UNITAID, the Government of the United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are the financiers of a US$216 million AMFm co-payment fund to be used for the global subsidy. In addition, the Global Fund will spend about US$127 million on country-level activities to support the effective implementation of AMFm.

“We are using market dynamics to improve access to life-saving medicines; this is central to the mission of UNITAID and we are pleased to work with the Global Fund to achieve universal access,” says Philippe Douste-Blazy, Chair of the UNITAID Board.

During the last few years new, effective malaria medicines have been made available for free in many public health clinics. When combined with national campaigns to provide mosquito bed-nets for every family living in areas with malaria this has led to a dramatic fall in malaria deaths in several countries in Africa. The combination of bed nets to prevent malaria transmission and drugs that cure malaria quickly has reduced malaria deaths by between 50 percent and 90 percent in areas where both are widely available.

However, because most people do not have immediate access to public health facilities they buy their drugs at local market stalls and private pharmacies. The new drugs, known as “artemisinin-based combination therapies” or ACTs, are about 10 - 40 times more expensive when sold over the counter than the old drugs which have lost their effectiveness because the malaria parasite has developed resistance to them. As a result of the high cost, many still buy these cheaper less effective drugs and currently, only one in every five patients treated for malaria has access to ACTs.

The AMFm was developed through Roll-Back Malaria – a broad partnership of public and private institutions, such as the World Bank, UNICEF, the Dutch Government, the Global Fund, WHO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.


Phase 1 of the AMFm includes nine pilots in eight countries: Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar) and Uganda. After two years, providing it is successful, a decision will be taken on whether to expand it globally.


Source: The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria


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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Let’s Join Hands to Fight off Malaria for Good




World Malaria Day 2010, Sunday April 25


A Message from African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN)

By the Executive Secretary, Mrs. Charity Binka

‘Let’s join hands to fight off malaria for good!’

It is here with us – again. The World Malaria Day is a sad, rude reminder that malaria, a preventable disease, continues to parade the world dealing a death blow to many African children and ravaging the resources of the continent.

The Day offers us another opportunity to ponder anew how a disease so primitive continues to reap a grim harvest. According to the World Health Organization’s statistics, more than a million deaths occur annually and more than 80% are estimated to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly among children under five years old and pregnant women.

Despite these challenges, it is gratifying to note that there are many activities including control and preventive strategies coupled with research activities currently going on to support other interventions to contain the disease and eventually eradicate it.

Current control strategies on malaria include early diagnosis and prompt, effective treatment of malaria. There are also preventive activities through the use of insecticide-treated nets and other vector control measures such as residual indoor spraying and environmental management. Others areas are prevention of malaria in pregnancy and the development of new tools through research.

Vaccines, such as the candidate RTS,S are also part of the new tools being developed to deal a death blow to malaria. The INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Antimalarials in Africa (INESS) is also one of the innovative and unique initiatives which have also come on board to support other interventions. INESS is, for instance focusing on antimalarials to ensure their safety and effectiveness in and outside the general health systems in Africa.

These are great milestones we need to be proud of and to commend scientists, researchers and donors for their immense contribution towards the eradication of malaria.


While commending scientists, we want to appreciate Bill Gates for his contribution in funding research into malaria eradication. He is on record to have said: It‘s time to treat the malaria epidemic like the crisis it is. It is unacceptable that 3,000 children die every day from a largely preventable and treatable disease.

Indeed there is a missing link between the work of malaria researchers to tackle this present reality and media coverage of it that is begging to be bridged. It is amply demonstrated by the lack of sustainable media follow up on the Abuja Declaration Targets of60% of children under-5 and pregnant women sleeping under Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) by 2005. The leaders also promised to reduce by25% of childhood fevers which will be correctly managed using IMCI. The Abuja Declaration Targets for 2010 are here with us.

The BIG question is: Can we, by the end of this year, be able to proudly say that the targets to reduce malaria morbidity (disease occurrence) by half (50%) of the 2000 levels and the reduction of malaria mortality (death rate) by 50% of the 2000 levels have been achieved?


Yes we can with commitment on the part of leaders. That is why we must applaud the mission of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest donor to malaria to work with partners around the world to reach a day when no human being would have malaria – the very purpose for which African Media and Malaria Research (AMMREN) was born. AMMREN’s major goal is to join hands with partner stakeholders towards the eradication of malaria.

AMMREN seeks to promote communication of malaria research outcomes/outputs and best practices in malaria eradication in Africa through strengthened collaboration between malaria researchers, journalists and stakeholders. AMMREN has a membership of over fifty journalists from 10 African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.

This year’s celebration of Malaria Day gives us another opportunity to re-strategise to push malaria out of Africa and the world. AMMREN associates itself with the statement by Bill Gates, the hero of our time that, “It‘s time to treat the malaria epidemic like the crisis it is. It is unacceptable that 3,000 children die every day from a largely preventable and treatable disease”. AMMREN has joined the campaign. This is a clarion call to all to sign up to help realize the goal: Let’s join hands to fight off malaria for good!

African governments must stand up and be counted as we enter the next phase to kick out malaria from the continent. They must not fail us. THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO.

Thank you.



Monday, December 14, 2009

Saving Lives with SMS for Life


Tanzanian child helped by SMS for life program and IBM LotusLive.com cloud computing. (PRNewsFoto/IBM) LONDON ENGLAND


14 Dec 2009 12:00 Africa/Lagos


Saving Lives with SMS for Life

IBM, Novartis and Vodafone Join Forces to Help Halt Malaria in Africa

LONDON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new solution developed by IBM (NYSE:IBM) , Novartis and Vodafone with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, is helping to save lives using everyday technology to improve the availability of anti-malarial drugs in remote areas of Tanzania.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

Called "SMS for Life," the initiative uses a combination of mobile phones, SMS (Short Messaging Service) technologies and intuitive web sites to track and manage the supply of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs and Quinine injectables, both of which are key to reducing the number of deaths from malaria.


The mosquito-borne disease causes nearly one million deaths in Africa each year, mostly among pregnant women and young children, and many people die because they simply lack quick access to vital medication.


The concept of using text messaging to improve stock management of life-saving medicines was developed by pharmaceutical company Novartis and a team of international students taking part in IBM's internship program, Extreme Blue. The team came up with SMS for Life, as it relies on simple technology and fosters self-sufficiency. IBM was tasked with managing the overall project and Vodafone was invited to develop and manage a system based on simple SMS messaging that would help ensure dispensaries did not run out of vital stock.


After visits to clinics, hospitals and dispensaries across Tanzania, IBM, Novartis and Vodafone initiated a five-month pilot of the SMS for Life solution, covering 135 villages and over a million people in different geographic locations across Tanzania.


Vodafone, together with its technology partner MatsSoft, developed a system in which healthcare staff at each facility receives automated SMS messages, which prompt them to check the remaining stock of anti-malarial drugs each week. Using toll-free numbers, staff reply with an SMS to a central database system hosted in the United Kingdom, providing details of stock levels, and deliveries can be made before supplies run out at local health centres.


"This is an example of a truly innovative solution helping solve a humanitarian problem," says Peter Ward of IBM, SMS for Life Project Manager. "After spending time on the ground, we created a project plan, developed the application with Vodafone and Novartis and established the best way to deliver the pilot, working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health. We expect other countries will also be able to benefit in the future."


"Vodafone has worked closely with IBM, Novartis and MatsSoft, to develop a simple, robust and innovative system that is able to deliver even in the most remote African communities," said Dr. Dianne Sullivan, Scientific Adviser, Mobile Health, of Vodafone. "The SMS for Life solution shows the tremendous potential of mobile technology to deliver social good through lateral thinking by helping to ensure supplies of life-saving drugs."


During the first few weeks of the pilot, the number of health facilities with stock-outs in one district alone, was reduced by over 75 percent. The early success of the SMS for Life pilot project has the Tanzanian authorities interested in implementing the solution across the rest of the country. Tanzania has around 5,000 clinics, hospitals and dispensaries, but at any one time, as many as half could potentially be out of stock of anti-malarial drugs.


"The SMS for Life program has already had a positive effect in Tanzania," says Senior Health Officer with Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania, Winfred Mwafongo. "I've seen district medical officers ordering urgent stock replacements for various health facilities. During a visit to 19 rural health facilities in one district alone, I saw huge improvements in their inventory management systems. I'm very impressed with the results so far and look forward to following the rest of the pilot through to completion."


"Collaboration is critical to tackle health problems of the developing world, and we are proud to be part of the SMS for Life partnership, a project that will reduce stock-outs, and ensure that mothers and their young children in Africa have access to life-saving anti-malarial medicines," says Silvio Gabriel, Executive Vice President and Head of the Malaria Initiatives at Novartis.


Designed as a public and private partnership leveraging the skills and resources of several companies, SMS for Life could have far-reaching implications for existing health systems worldwide. Several other African states are already keen to introduce the project.


About the RBM Global Partnership


The RBM Partnership is the global coordinator of the fight against malaria. RBM draws its strength and experience from hundreds of partners from malaria endemic countries, country donors, companies, non-governmental and community organisations, foundations and research and academic institutions. RBM partners' collective aim is to reduce annual malaria deaths from around one million to virtually zero by 2015 through the implementation of the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP). This outlines RBM's vision for a substantial and sustained reduction in the burden of malaria in the near and mid-term, and the eventual global eradication of malaria in the long term with the introduction of new tools. www.rollbackmalaria.org


About IBM
For more information about IBM, please visit www.ibm.com.

About Novartis

Novartis provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Focused solely on healthcare, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines, diagnostic tools and consumer health products. Novartis is the only company with leading positions in each of these areas. In 2008, the Group's continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 41.5 billion and net income of USD 8.2 billion. Approximately USD 7.2 billion was invested in R&D activities throughout the Group. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 99,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com/.


About Vodafone


Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group with approximately 323 million proportionate customers as at 30 September 2009. Vodafone currently has equity interests in 31 countries across five continents and around 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com


Contact:
IBM
Arlene Wainstein
Tel: 33 155916172
arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com

IBM
Mike Azzi
914-766-1561
azzi@us.ibm.com

Vodafone Group Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)1635 664 444
Email: groupmediarelations@vodafone.com

Novartis Media Relations
Sarah Coles
Ruder Finn
Office: +1 212 593 6393
Mobile: +1 646 354 8697
Email: coless@ruderfinn.com


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-b
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: IBM

CONTACT: Arlene Wainstein, +33-155916172, arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com or
Mike Azzi, +1-914-766-1561, azzi@us.ibm.com, both of IBM; Vodafone Group Media
Relations, +44-(0)1635-664-444, groupmediarelations@vodafone.com; or Sarah
Coles, Novartis Media Relations, Ruder Finn, +1-212-593-6393 (office) or
+1-646-354-8697 (mobile), coless@ruderfinn.com


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Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
14 Dec 2009
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Saving Lives with SMS for Life
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Mobile Messenger and Rave Mobile Safety Announce Expanded Partnership