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Peer review and consumer rights, strengthening regulation as a means of improving quality and access to health care in Tanzania and Zimbabwe

Project Description

The PeerCon project was a three year project which started in 2002. It's aim was to develop and undertake a multi-faceted consumer-peer intervention in order to strengthen regulatory effectiveness related to the private retail phamaceutical sector and improve access to, quality and appropriate use of drugs for the treatment of STIs among women and diarrhoea among children. Furthermore, the project aimed to generalise from the knowledge gained in order to recommend strategies for improving effective use of and access to drugs within the broader health system. 

Project Partners

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK - Department of Public Health and Policy.

Contact Person: Professor Anne Mills

Karolinska Institute, Sweden - Division of International Health Care Research Department of Public Health Sciences.

Contact Persons: Professor Goran Tomson and Professor Cecilia Stalsby Lundborg

Institute of Continuing Health Education, Zimbabwe.

Contact Person: Professor Norman Nyazema

Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Tanzania - Institute of Public Health.

Contact Person: Dr Phare Mujinja 

Aims and Objectives

  1. To undertake formative research examining the current situation with respect to dispensing and availability of STI and diarrhoea-related drugs in the private sector and to identify the relationships which govern private sector retail pharmaceutical activity and the role of patient and consumer representatives in the regulatory structure;
  2. To adapt methodologies for the measurement of consumer satisfaction and effectiveness of a consumer-peer intervention;
  3. To design and undertake a multi-component intervention trial in peri-urban and rural settings in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, working with consumers and peer groups to strengthen access to, quality and appropriate use of STI and diarrhoea-related drugs by women and children;
  4. To measure the cost and effectiveness of the consumer-peer intervention, identifying factors contributing to and limiting the impact of the intervention;
  5. To develop recommendations for strengthening regulatory interventions in order to improve effective use and access to essential drugs and disseminate results to a range of stakeholders.

Further details can be found in the Original PeerCon Application Form (PDF 3.72 MB)

Publications

  1. Nyazema, N., N. Viberg, et al. (2007). "Low sale of antibiotics without prescription: a cross-sectional study in Zimbabwean private pharmacies." J Antimicrob Chemother 59(4): 718-26. (Appendix XLII) Abstract
  2. Viberg, N., P. Mujinja, et al. (2009). "STI management in Tanzanian private drugstores - practices and roles of drugsellers." Sex Transm Infect. (Appendix XLIII) Abstract
  3. Viberg N., Kalala W. et al. "Practical knowledge" and perceptions of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance among drugsellers in Tanzanian private drugstores. (Appendix XLIV)
  4. Viberg, N., G. Tomson, et al. (2007). "The role of the pharmacist-voices from nine African countries." Pharm World Sci 29(1): 25-33 (Appendix XLV) Abstract
  5. Viberg, N. (2009). "Selling Drugs or Providing Health Care? The role of private pharmacies and drugstores, examples from Zimbabwe and Tanzania." Karolinska Institute, Thesis for doctoral degree (Ph.D.) Viberg Thesis Abstract (PDF 0.55 MB)
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