e_Paper, Wednesday, August 30, 2017

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017 DT Opinion Make medicine accessible to all For a healthier, more equitable region • Poonam Khetrapal Singh Access to medication is a critical factor for ensuring healthy lives and promoting the wellbeing of all people across all ages. Thanks to modern medical science, treatment in the form of medication now exists for almost all ailments, but essential medicine is still inaccessible to many people for reasons beyond their control. Affordability can be a barrier; the medicine may be in short supply due to delivery issues in distribution channels, making continuity of treatment difficult; it may be of sub-standard quality, making it less effective and potentially dangerous. The sentinel role of countries in terms of access to medicine has become more challenging than ever before, given the nature of the pathogens and reduction in time and space on travel. The rising concern of noncommunicable diseases requiring life course management makes access to medicine key for good health and prosperity. Ensuring that all people everywhere can access essential medicines is one of WHO South- East Asia’s priority areas of work and a key tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals agenda 2030 of health and wellbeing for all. In recent years, many countries have made notable progress in this regard. Affordability of priority medicines has increased, and supply has become steadier. Flexibilities in global trade agreements have been leveraged to reduce prices in several countries; there are numerous regional examples of improved public sector purchasing. The countries in the region have updated their Essential Medicines lists; supply-chain management systems have improved to be more effective and reliable. And action by countries to improve quality of medicines has accelerated. Many countries have included health as the top priority in national goals. But we could do better. Certain persistant inadequacies are yet to be addressed: Out-ofpocket spending -- including on essential medicines -- remains high; further, supply chains in some areas remain weak and countries lacking manufacturing capacity often cannot leverage competitive prices from suppliers. Despite challenges, the region’s Everyone everywhere should have access to essential medicines The region’s economic status is changing for the better, a positive sign that, however, will lead to reduced access to external financing for medicines and vaccines economic status is changing for the better, a positive sign that, however, will lead to reduced access to external financing for medicines and vaccines. This calls for self-reliance and collaboration among the countries in the region. WHO takes initiative The Southeast Asia region member countries, supported by WHO, launched South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) to enhance information sharing, collaboration and convergence of medical product regulatory practices across the region to guarantee access to high-quality medical products to their people. There are three key areas of action: First, countries keep their Essential Medicines List (EML) and medicines policy current. By developing clear accountability systems for medicine selection and procurement, health authorities can harness opportunities for access to affordable medicines. In response to the rising antimicrobial resistance, WHO experts have made major revisions in the antibiotics section of the EML, so countries in the region can follow the directions for proper antibiotic use. Also, across the region, countries are yet to capitalise on the massive drop in prices for a range of game-changing medicines -- most notably for Hepatitis C. Second, guarantee quality and affordability of medicines. The role of the National Regulator should be redefined to that of a facilitator for quality production. This entails providing adequate technical assistance and handholding for achieving quality standards at the level of manufacturing as well. Countries should continue with targeted quality control and testing of medicines that are sub-standard or falsified. From manufacture to sale, locally produced medicines should always meet international standards. For affordability, the emphasis is on promoting competition, implementing a series of price control measures, encouraging doctors to prescribe generics, and regulating wholesale and retail mark-ups. Developing pricing strategies linked to health insurance programs, especially where national schemes are in place, is equally important. Further, countries can actively exploit flexibilities in global trade agreements and bargain collectively when negotiating with medicine manufacturers. The SEARN can help make regulation more efficient by BIGSTOCK developing the region’s diverse capacities and strengths, with significant gains. Third, generating high-quality information on access to essential medicines within the countries so that the problems may be better addressed.Knowing where and why people are facing shortages, where unsafe or ineffective medicines are being sold, is essential to developing lasting solutions. From smart-phone apps to household surveys, the array of tools at health authorities’ disposal is extensive.By using them effectively, authorities can gather the information needed to make smart, high-impact interventions that drive life-changing gains. Essential medicines should be accessible to all, to achieve universal health coverage. Supported by a clear vision, the dream of health equity and the Sustainable Development Goals of health and wellbeing for all are within reach. A healthier, more equitable and sustainable Southeast Asia Region can be ours. • Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh is the Regional Director of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.
Opinion 15 The wrong kind of attention We need to talk more about sexual harassment DT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017 But this isn’t always that easy, especially when the media is dragged in. Although there are some news media that are concerned about the victim and hide his/her identity, there are others that fail to conceal the victim’s identity for petty profits, which makes the life of the victim all the more difficult. This is mostly why many victims do not want to seek legal justice. Sadly, society is of no help. Most people try to blame the victim for the harasser’s offense, or say it is a plot to extort money. So unless we evolve into a good, supportive society, victims will think twice before taking the matter to the police. Considering the effects on the victim, the best way to deal with sexual harassment is to have an ironclad policy in the university and a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental environment for the victims so they can easily get the assistance and justice they deserve. Do we have a system in place to complain about harassment? BIGSTOCK The government can help The government can take many practical steps such as including the topic in textbooks, requiring every educational institute to have a strict policy about it, establishing a special hotline to report • Niaz Islam Arif What is “sexual harassment”? The answer is simple: Any kind of unwanted activity directed at a particular person, which is sexually offensive in nature, is sexual harassment. It could happen in different forms: Verbal, non-verbal, or physical -- such as spreading rumours, lewd jokes, comments on personal choices, and unwanted physical contact. As society advances, people are using new ways to harass others via things like fake photos, social media, text, email, etc. University students, especially female students, are some of the primary victims of sexual harassment. In Bangladesh, now and then, we hear about some harassment of university students by their own professors, but they are not the only victims. Moreover their professors are not the only offenders. A university student often gets harassed by classmates, seniors, lovers, and in some cases, even by the staff. It is also true that the harasser could be of the same sex as the victim. To stand against this social menace, we can take precautions, but even that fails to guarantee its prevention -- but the most effective measures can be taken by the victim. Speak up When facing any sort of harassment, the best way to deal with it is to speak up. One has to speak instantly when it occurs, and tell the harasser in a definitive manner to stop doing it, regardless of how trivial the offense may seem. Because, when someone does not protest small matters, it often paves the way for serious offenses. And sometimes, the offender is unaware of the fact that his/ her actions are hurting someone else or that for someone else, it is an invasion of personal space. In those cases, if the victim speaks up, then the harasser understands his own fault. And if the victim feels shy about talking to the offender, then this could be handled in several other ways too. Victims could write anonymous letters or send an email to the harasser explaining the incident that troubled her/him. And it is always a good idea to keep a copy of the letter or email as it can be used as evidence in the future, in case the offender does not cooperate. If things start to get out of hand, then students must speak up, loudly and clearly. In many cases, the offender gets scared when someone asks loudly to stop, because he/she fears that someone may hear and come to the rescue. Fortunately, we now live in an era of technology where victims can easily use that for his/her defense -- by voice recording, taking pictures, and making videos. And to be on the safe side, victims should write down the offensive act in a diary or in an electronic device with all the details. It is always a good idea to inform someone else about the harassment, like a close friend or a classmate, so that someone else can also look out for the victim and at times can speak on behalf of the victim. The next step is to involve the appropriate university authority in the matter. Educational institutions can do a lot to help victims. Every institute should have a definitive policy on how to handle such matters. Often, the victim gets blamed for the offender’s crime. University authorities have to be very cautious, and make sure that it does not happen. If the university doesn’t have such a policy, then students should talk to the faculty about it, and ask the policy-makers to make one. Even then, if they fail to do so, students should take further action. University students can also increase awareness by arranging seminars, workshops, street plays, etc around the campus. They can distribute informational leaflets and put up posters so that every student knows what they can do when they face sexual harassment. Break the taboo The more we talk about it and let people know about it, the better. Students are the ones who can take a strong stand against sexual harassment incidences of sexual harassment, providing shelter, and ensuring safe passage of the victims to normal life. Students themselves are the ones who can take a strong stand against the sexual harassment that goes on within their own institutions. They have to stick together to fight sexual harassment. They have to support each other and always be conscious of what is going on around them. If students set an example for society, other people will soon follow. Hopefully, one day, we will be able to live in a beautiful society free from such horrible sexual harassment. • Niaz Islam Arif is a freelance contributor.
Page 1 and 2: SECOND EDITION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30
Page 3 and 4: News WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST 30, 2017 D
Page 5 and 6: News 5 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017 D
Page 7 and 8: News WEDNESDAY, 7 AUGUST 30, 2017 D
Page 9 and 10: Advertisement 9 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3
Page 11 and 12: News 11 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017
Page 13: Teacher, lead the way What happened
Page 17 and 18: Biz Info Conference for the heads o
Page 19 and 20: Cummins: We’re in a great positio
Page 21 and 22: Sports 21 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 201
Page 23 and 24: Shakib Khan to donate TV shows earn

e_Paper, Wednesday, August 30, 2017

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?