PHA-Exch> UN FORUM ON PROMOTING THE USE OF SAFER NEEDLES KICKS OFF IN GENEVA

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>
crosposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au

UN FORUM ON PROMOTING THE USE OF SAFER NEEDLES KICKS OFF IN GENEVA
New York, Oct 23 2007  1:00PM

With an estimated 6 billion injections given every year with syringes or
needles
that are reused without sterilization, the United Nations health agency has
gathered together global experts to explore ways to promote the use of safer
needles, which in turn can prevent the spread of viruses such as Hepatitis.

The annual meeting of the Safe Injection Global Network (<"
http://www.who.int/injection_safety/sign/en/index.html">SIGN), which kicked
off at WHO's headquarters in Geneva, brings together UN agencies, donors,
experts, countries and industry.

Over the next three days, participants will <"
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np32/en/index.html">examine
how
best to encourage countries and procurement agencies to purchase the safest
needles, how to encourage manufacturers to lower the price of such products,
and
how to boost countries' local manufacturing capacity.

WHO estimates that 40 per cent of all injections given in developing
countries –
and up to 70 per cent in some countries – are with needles or syringes that
are
reused without sterilization.

While the agency has been advising countries to use needles with safety
features, most cannot afford these new technologies.  Less sophisticated
needles
cost about $0.03, while more advanced, safer ones are about $0.15.

"The new technologies should be available to developing countries, where
injections are used more and where the risk of infection transmission is
greater," Dr. Howard Zucker, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health
Technology and Pharmaceuticals, stated.

According to WHO, unsafe injections and needle stick injuries suffered by
health-care workers together cause 33 per cent of new Hepatitis B infections
and
2 million new cases of Hepatitis C in the world each year.  Unsafe
injections in
health-care settings also account for an estimated 5 per cent of new HIV
cases
worldwide.

The use of syringes with features that prevent reuse and needle stick
injuries
would avert about 1.3 million global deaths per year by preventing
infections
and the epidemics caused by their spread, WHO estimates.

To promote safer injections, the agency will discuss with manufacturers
possible
ways to lower the price of safer injection devices, as well as promote
interaction between local manufacturers and the two umbrella organizations
for
injection device manufacturers – the International Association for Safe
Injection Technology and the European Medical Technology Industry
Association.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20071024/51bf9b98/attachment-0001.html>