How We WorkIn order to achieve our goals SCI collaborates with international agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, bi-lateral and multi-lateral agencies, NGOs, Foundations, the media, pharmaceutical companies and the private sector in order to mobilise resources against NTDs. In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a major shift in its strategy for the control of NTDs away from recommending interventions aimed at “specific diseases” to helping the “maximum number of people at risk who could be treated with a set of drugs”. The seven NTDs share characteristics that allow for a sychronised and integrated treatment strategy. There are five drugs (collectively referred to as the ‘Rapid Impact Package’) required to treat all seven NTDs and the majority are donated through a designated program set up by the pharmaceutical manufacturers. The drug donations themselves are valued at over US $1 billion, and represent the largest drug donation in history.
In the field we use a strategy called ‘Community Based Treatment’ (CBT) in order to successfully distribute the Rapid Impact Package of drugs to those who suffer from NTDs. The drugs are easy to administer so non-medically trained staff can be trained to deliver the drugs by attending a one day course. The advantage of the CBT approach is that it empowers local communities through ‘ownership’ of the health scheme and ensures a higher uptake and longevity of the programme. Wherever possible through collaboration with the Ministry of Education schools are used as centres for treatment. They offer an extensive infrastructure with a skilled workforce already established in the community to administer the treatment. Teachers and Community Drug Distributors (CDDs are chosen by their community) are trained to distribute drugs to the targeted at risk population. Teachers and CDDs are perceived by the community as those possessing attributes of honesty, good conduct, integrity, trustworthiness and good record keeping. Unlike the majority of drug treatments the drugs used to treat NTDs
are safe regardless of whether or not the person is infected. This
removes the necessity and huge financial burden of individual screening.
Furthermore, the drugs are easy to store, do not require refrigeration
and last for up to 4 years. This allows us to buy drugs in bulk,
reducing the cost per unit significantly. Collectively these factors
allow SCI to deliver treatment cheap and effective treatment for NTDs
across sub-Saharan Africa. |