Steps to seek donated drugs to treat epilepsy-associated tapeter infection

A recent agreement between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the German pharmaceutical company Bayer promises hope for expanding access to basic medicines for the treatment of people exposed to or infected with swine tape Cassette in condition.

Parasite infection T. tolium It is estimated to cause 30% of all cases of epilepsy in countries where it is endemic, and mainly affects the poorest people and the most marginalized communities.

Donated praziquantel and niclosamide as part of an extended collaboration

In a five-year agreement¹ signed last year, Bayer agreed to support the WHO global program to combat taeniasis and neurocysticercosis with donated praziquantel and niclosamide, and to provide funding to maintain control and prevention activities.

For more than 15 years, Bayer has been providing WHO drugs to support the control of human African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease. This last collaboration for control and treatment T. tolium the infection is appropriate as the WHO prepares to launch its new roadmap of neglected tropical diseases for 2021–2030.

How to request medication

Both praziquantel and niclosamide are now available through the WHO.

To request a donation, you need to fill out a set of forms that facilitate application, review and reporting. They are also expected to improve coordination and integration between different programs. The three forms are:

• Application for selected PC drugs (RSM) – assist countries in quantifying the number of tablets of relevant medicines needed to reach the planned target population and district during the year for which the medicines are requested.
• Reporting Form (RF) – assist States in reporting on the annual progress of the integrated and coordinated distribution of medicines through disease in the reporting year in a standardized format.
• PC Epidemiological Reporting Form (EPIRF) – standardize national reporting on epidemiological data on taenias / cysticercosis. National authorities are encouraged to complete this form and submit it to the WHO each year, along with the RF.

All donations are subject to review and / or availability of medications. In addition, the use of donated drugs must be properly reported to the WHO upon completion of treatment activities.

submission

Reports generated in RSM and RF (SUMMARY of worksheets) must be printed and signed by NTD coordinators or representatives of the Ministry of Health to officially support the country’s request for these drugs and the reported annual progress of the national program. Date of signature must be included .

After obtaining the signature, scanned copies of the two worksheets, along with full Excel versions of RSM, RF, and EPIRF, can be submitted jointly to the WHO. All three duly completed forms must be submitted to the WHO office and copies sent by e-mail to:

The forms should also be copied to the NTD contact center at the appropriate WHO regional office.

The transition period (from the submission of the forms to the WHO office to the delivery of the drugs for preventive chemotherapy to the national warehouse of the respective countries) can last 6-8 months. This time is required to review and approve a request that includes ordering, drug production, and shipping.

Reporting and data collection at the community and district level

Recording and collecting reliable data on drug use (i.e. coverage) at the peripheral and district levels and compiling such data at the national level is essential to complete the RF.

Transmission cycle violation

Efforts in the control of neurocysticercosis are mainly aimed at interrupting the cycle of active transmission of parasites. An important component of this strategy is the treatment of patients who have a port T. tolium parasite. This is achieved through extensive treatment (also known as preventive chemotherapy) of the eligible population. The most effective single-dose drugs are praziquantel or niclosamide.

Over the past few years, many endemic countries affected by cysticercosis have asked the World Health Organization to facilitate access to quality-assured drugs. The existing agreement, under the auspices of universal health insurance, allows Bayer to donate praziquantel (“Biltricid”) and niclosamide (“Yomezan”) tablets.