AMREF and AstraZeneca: Working towards better treatment of Africa's 'killer diseases'
As one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca is committed to making a contribution to improving health in the developing world. AstraZeneca’s approach centres on applying their skills and experience in infection research to find a new treatment for tuberculosis (TB), a major threat to life in the developing world, and on forging partnerships that help to strengthen local communities’ ability to fight this devastating disease.
Background to the partnership
AMREF's partnership with AstraZeneca began in 2004 with a TB control and prevention project in Sakhisizwe, Eastern Cape, South Africa. As well as helping to strengthen support services, such as laboratory services, transport systems and drugs, the project also succeeded in improving successful treatment of TB by training community health workers to support TB patients to take their drugs correctly. The project also focused on increasing community knowledge of TB and improved the nutritional status of TB patients through education and community gardening projects.
Following the success of this project, AstraZeneca extended their partnership with AMREF to provide significant funding and support for a five year project, aimed at providing an innovative integrated approach to tackling the major killers in Uganda, malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB.
“We are proud to work with organisations such as AMREF to find ways to improve the treatment of patients suffering from these three diseases. We share a common goal – to help communities create the sustainable healthcare frameworks they need for the long-term management and prevention of life-threatening disease.” Judith Everett, Head of Corporate Affairs Strategy, Brand and Corporate Responsibility
PROJECT IN FOCUS: Integrating HIV, TB and malaria servi
ces and treatment in Uganda
Since 2007, AMREF have been working with AstraZeneca on a project to help tackle the 'big three' diseases; malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB. Despite evident links between these three major diseases, an integrated approach to manage the problem had not been attempted before.
With the support of AstraZeneca, AMREF created a project that would not only strengthen healthcare systems but integrate the management of malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB in order to provide a more efficient and effective healthcare that could be replicated across Africa at a local and national level.
The project targets the poor and remote communities in the Luwero and Kiboga districts of central Uganda, in particular, women of childbearing age, children under five and people living with HIV/AIDs.
As part of this project AMREF has been working to improve local health centres in these districts to enable them to prevent, diagnose and treat HIV, TB and malaria more effectively. Almost 1000 village health teams have been trained as well as highly skilled lab technicians. Outreach days have also been held within schools and communities, helping to educate nearly 10,000 people about the diseases, improving their awareness, understanding and promoting good practises to prevent them.
“I came to the district as a health worker but managing a drug store however small it may seem to many was completely a new challenge that I struggled with for years. I am so delighted that I have had this training, now I can do my given task as an expert from the National Medical Stores with confidence."
Acio Susan, Officer in charge of Kikonda Health Centre III