DOH, Novartis launch leprosy control contest

MANILA, Philippines - As part of activities leading up to the observance of World Leprosy Day on Jan. 29, the Department of Health (DOH) and Novartis Healthcare Philippines, in partnership with the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD), have launched the Best Practices and Innovative Ideas in Fighting Leprosy Contest.

“Although the Philippines has met the elimination target of a national leprosy prevalence rate of less than one in 10,000 population, there are still areas in the country with relatively higher prevalence rates of the disease. With the launch of this contest, we aim to sustain the fight against leprosy in the post-elimination phase,” said Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

“New challenges in leprosy control have emerged that require innovation. Novartis is privileged to work with the DOH in seeking effective approaches and novel ideas that can overcome these challenges and prevent re-emergence,” said Thomas Weigold, country president and managing director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

Open to organizations and individuals, the contest invites participants to share best practices or ideas that highlight innovative approaches to leprosy control in times of relatively low prevalence.

Entries should include a completed entry form, profile of the participating individual or organization, one-page executive summary, and maximum of five pages of text (Arial, font size 11) and pictures.

Submissions must contain project goals, beneficiaries, key actions taken, outcomes, and resources.

Entries must be e-mailed to [email protected] on or before Feb. 18. The winners will be announced on the week of March 4.

The contest has two categories: Best Practices (ongoing or completed projects) and Innovative Ideas. Three winning entries per category will be chosen.

For the Best Practices category, the best qualifying entry will win P100,000, while the second and third best qualifying entries will receive P40,000 and P20,000, respectively.

The best qualifying entry in the Innovative Ideas category will win P15,000, while the second and third best qualifying entries will receive P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

The entry form and full contest rules can be viewed by logging on to www.doh.gov.ph or www.novartis.com.ph.

Long-term commitment

“Novartis and the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development have a long-term commitment to leprosy treatment and control. We are working with the DOH in developing and implementing a leprosy post-elimination strategy as part of the broader national leprosy control program,” said Christine Fajardo, corporate affairs and market access director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

Since 2000, Novartis, through the World Health Organization (WHO), has donated more than $77 million worth of multi-drug therapy (MDT), the treatment recommended by the WHO, helping to cure approximately five million leprosy patients worldwide.

Novartis has supplied around 50,000 MDT courses to the Philippines.

Recommended by the WHO since 1981, MDT has revolutionized the treatment of leprosy. It consists of three drugs: dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine.

Two of the three drugs used in MDT were developed by Novartis in the late 1970s. Today high-quality MDT drugs are produced by the generic arm of Novartis, Sandoz, and made available for free by Novartis.

The NFSD is a non-profit organization that forms a key part of the corporate social responsibility portfolio of research-based Swiss healthcare company Novartis.

The foundation plans and supports projects designed to strengthen and secure essential healthcare provision for the poor in developing countries.

Active in the fight against leprosy for more than 25 years, the NFSD implements innovative social marketing programs to reduce the stigma attached to leprosy, develops tools to prevent disabilities, helps patients reintegrate in society, and supports leprosy drug donation initiatives worldwide.