By Doh James Sonkey
On the occasion of the 2018 edition of the African Child Day, the Country Representative of Novartis Social Business, Brice TCHUENTE talks to The SUN’s Regional Bureau Chief for the Centre, South and East on their contribution in the fight against diseases that inflict death on children and this is what he said in this exclusive and captivating interview. Read on
- On the occasion of the Day of the African Child, what is the contribution of Novartis to the health and well-being of children in Africa?
Despite enormous progress in the fight against malaria, a child still dies of this disease every two minutes. Novartis aims to contribute to the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing malaria-related child mortality by at least 90% by 2030. To this end, the company committed last April to invest more than USD100 million to advance research and development of new antimalarials over the next five years. This commitment also includes expanded access to pediatric antimalarials and the implementation of capacity development programs.
Novartis also has a program called Novartis Access, which provides governments, NGOs, and public health providers in lowand middle-income countries with a package of 15 generic and patented medicines for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some respiratory diseases and breast cancer. These pathologies are not specific to a single category of people. They affect both adults and children. This is why Novartis Access also offers medicines for children, for example against asthma, which is a common respiratory illness seen in children.
- Can you quantify your support to the Cameroonian child seriously hit by malaria?
A recent study, which pooled data from 33 African countries, estimated that only about twenty percent of children with a malaria-induced fever got the right treatment. Those who get it are often given crushed-up bitter pills that they spit out.Novartis has been at the forefront of a revolution in malaria treatment since the introduction in 1999 of the firstArtemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). The company also launched in 2009 the first dispersible ACT specifically designed for infants and children with malaria. This medicine is more suitable for the consumption of children and therefore easier to take. Since its launch, more than 850 million treatments of Novartis ACTs, including 350 million pediatric treatments,have been distributed.
- Can you throw more light on the Novartis Access Program for Cameroonian children, especially in the treatment of asthma and malaria which are two diseases that are very common among the children and cause a lot of deaths?
The problem with chronic diseases is that the patient has to take a treatment for a lifetime. These chronic treatmentscan be expensive, especially for people with low incomes. That’s why Novartis Access was set up.
These pathologies are not specific to a single category of people. They affect both adults and children. Novartis Access offers an asthma medication in its package which is suitable for children. Drugs sold under the Novartis Access program cost less than 1000 FCFA per month. This is a relatively low price compared to existing treatments on the market.
- What has been the result so far since Novartis decided to provide 15 drugs to the government of Cameroon for the treatment of 4 major noncommunicable diseases?
Last February, Novartis and the National Centre for the Supply of Essential Drugs and Medical Consumables (CENAME) signed a supply, storage and distribution agreement to cover medicines within the Novartis Access program. Our drug package is already available in Cameroon through the vast network of hospitals of the Baptist Convention of Cameroon. We are also trying to work with other faith-based organizations. These drugs will also be available, thanks to CENAME, across the public sector and through other drug providers. We hope all people with chronic conditions will soon have access to affordable treatment.