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Strengthening the Pharmaceutical Industry and Utilization of Local Grown Medical Plants in Iraq
Erbil, 28 January 2009 - A consultative meeting on the development of industrial zones in Kurdistan Region of Government (KRG) was held in Erbil on Jan 16, 2009 under the patronage of their Excellencies the Minister of Health Dr. Abdul-Rahman Othman and the Minister of Environment Dr. Darah Mohammad Ameen of Kurdistan Region in presence of Dr.Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Representative for Iraq and 15 participants representing other relevant KRG ministries and institutions.
The main purpose of the meeting was to endorse a series of recommendations formulated by WHO international consultants as a result of 6 days assessment missions to 5 identified industrial sites (2 for medical plants and 3 as industrial zoning in Suleimaniyah and Erbil) with the objectives of advising Kurdistan Investment Board on future development of Pharmaceutical Industry zone in Iraq KRG.
This was in response to a request from the Kurdistan Investment Board addressed to WHO and UNIDO to provide technical, logistical and financial support to KRG as a step to flourish the development of pharmaceutical sector industrial zones and this field mission was an outcome of a previous technical consultation meeting conducted in Amman January 2009.
The WHO consultants included two Jordanian experts from the Jordan Industrial Estate Corporation (JIEC) and Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) and a WHO medical engineer consultant. They stated that KRG has very good potentials to develop a sound and competitive international pharmaceutical industrial zone in the near future. Some of the the recommendations were having a strong medicine policies and regulation so as to protect public health interests, conducting regular training of lab technologists who will be needed for the regional Quality Control Laboratory as well as making the necessary steps for the planning process.
H.E the Minister of Health said that " ensuring availability and affordability of medicines in the region is one of the ministry's priority and constructing small Drug Manufacturing Factories is our short term vision while attracting investors to construct drug pharmaceutical zone is our mid term strategy " . He added that " Iraq is eager to ensure that patients have access to safe and effective medical products through the establishment of an Iraqi advanced and specialized pharmaceutical industrial zones"
The Minister of Environment stated that "adherence environmental international measures and conduct Environmental impact assessment is key condition to start any project in KRG which will be followed by monitoring and evaluation on regular basis". He also added that "environmental health is our concern to save our next generation.”
Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Representative for Iraq in her remarks illustrated the importance of promoting equity and sustainability of pharmaceutical sector through ensuring access, quality and rational use. She also explained how this WHO/UNIDO project will meet the MDG through promoting primary health care and environmental sustainable development. She also conveyed to the audience the perspective and vision conveyed by Dr Ghezary Hussein, Regional Director for WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region for achieving regional self-sufficiency for essential medicines.
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The Government of Iraq and WHO Joint Program Review Mission (JPRM),the first round discussions held inside Iraq since 2001
Baghdad, 6 July 2009 - For the first time since 2001 inside Iraq, the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health acting on behalf of the Government of Iraq (GOI) launched the fourteenth round meeting of the WHO-GOI Joint Program Review Mission (JPRM) for the biennium 2010-2011. This date marks an important milestone, six years after the UN agencies operating in Iraq were constrained to move from the country to operated from Jordan and two days after all Multinational Forces in Iraq (MNFI) combat troops withdrew from all of Iraq's cities and towns
WHO reaffirms its commitment to support for the people of Iraq and to the Government of Iraq, as well as to assist the country to strengthening national health system, Dr. Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Representative for Iraq, Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. stated. She also added: " It is a historical moment of collaboration and coordination in placing health at the heart of development agenda, it’s the beginning of new Iraq, new era of well health, peace and prosperity … it’s a joint responsibility towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals".
More than 20 International and national WHO experts are in Baghdad to participate in the JPRM meeting together with over 100 decision makers and national programme managers from the ministry of health, other line ministries Parliamentarians and civil society and partner institutions and donors community. During the JPRM sessions which are scheduled to continue until 9 July 2009, the participants will agree on the joint collaborative programme for the next biennium (2010-11) and will identify operational activities and propose financial resources requirements.
This important joint exercise which usually takes place every two years, is an integral part of the regular programme management process between the Government of Iraq and WHO. It highlights Iraq national priorities in the Health Sector and identifies WHO strategic directions for technical collaboration to support the government of Iraq and to coordinate the work of the United Nations and other partners engaged in the health and nutrition sector in Iraq.
On the occasion of JRPM launch, Dr. Saleh Al-Hasnawi, the Iraq Minister of Health stated that "Moving away from narrowly defined areas of work to strategic objectives will provide a more flexible health care delivery programme that better reflect the needs of Iraq and facilitate more effective coordination between the World Health organization and the Government of Iraq"
PR The Government of Iraq and WHO Joint Program Review Mission JPRM avialable in English
Ruba Hikmat, Communication Officer – WHO Iraq Office
Reaching MDG in Iraq
Govenment introduces two vaccines to
27 April, Baghdad-Iraq, The Government of Iraq is introducing Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b) pentavalent (five-in-one) and Rota vaccines in the routine immunization
programme starting from mid of June this year to safeguard children from definite
vaccine-preventable diseases.
The government's decision to introduce Hib vaccine will protect thousands of infants
against some of the most dangerous childhood infections, including the major causes of diarrhea and the major causes of pneumonia and meningitis that is known to lead to permanent neurological disabilities. This decision comes after more than three years of day and night preparations to start a new chapter in the history of the EPI programme in Iraq.
In spite of the fact that the health related indicators to child mortality are steadily improving in Iraq (where the proportion of children dying within the first year of life has dropped from 50 to 35 for every 1,000 live birth, but these infants account for 85% of deaths among children aged under five, still the nation is far from achieving its child health-related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by 2015.
Over the past 25 years, Iraqi children paid the highest price in being exposed to series of negative consequences that resulted from wars, weak health systems and adequate health services that many children did not survive their fifth birthday. Till now, thousands of children dies from Hib disease, and every year, more than 40% of diarrhea cases is reported as being the cause of Rota virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) maneuvered in 2007 around advocating the vital impact for introducing these vaccines in an aim to reduce the mortality and mobility rate in Iraq. As a result, a scientific data base-study was conducted by the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) and central public health lab following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines, to verify the importance of using this vaccine and the cost effectiveness behind these integrated costly vaccines in the national vaccination package.
During the past three years, the Ministry of Health in Iraq with fullsupport of the World Health Organization has updated all the vaccine schedules, trained over 7,570 of EPI health workers on vaccine stock management; storage, method of administration and safe disposal to all children and ensured the availability of vaccines at the Primary Health Centers and managing stocks.
In fact, Iraq promises to save the nation's most vulnerable, through providing the vaccines free of charge at all health centers, basic health units, and state-run hospitals as part of its national immunization program. The new vaccines have been imported by the government, reached the warehouses and now under the quality control check, ready to be given to the three and six months infants beginning in the mid of June of 2011.
It is expected after six months of introducing the new vaccines that all children in Iraq will follow the new vaccination package.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health jointly with WHO and UNICEF focused on this year nationwide social mobilization, advocacy and educational national immunization campaign which will take place from 24 – 30 May in raising the awareness about the new package, encourage the parent to vaccinate their children and train the vaccination paramedical health workers on how to manage between the new and the old packages, “A second life opportunity with the help of brave hearts,” this is how we define the great achievement that is taking place in Iraq. Twenty six years and still the Ministry of Health, presented by the EPI programme, is working hard to fulfill their slogan of (NO child DISEASED, DISABLED, DIED from EPI targeted disease).
The rise of the new bright future is ahead for the Iraqi children and is fulfilled with well trusted determination of every partner and team who strides towards enabling one million of Iraqi infants to make further progress towards the reaching the MDGs.
