Business Daily (Nairobi)
Mwaura Kimani
2 July 2009
Efforts to combat the spread of swine flu in the country have received a boost following the launch of a global programme aimed at easing access to Tamiflu, the main drug used to treat the disease.
Swiss drugmaker Roche, which manufactures Tamiflu has launched an initiative which will see the firm produce and store stockpiles for developing countries, including Kenya at a significantly reduced price.
This comes at a time when the country's heath systems is on high alert following the detection of the first Swine flu case in Kisumu on Monday. Public Health Minister Beth Mugo said the country already has at least 50,000 doses of Tamiflu in its stocks.
According to Roche, the programme should ensure that Tamiflu is available to many developing nations incase the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an influenza pandemic, or for the management of a novel influenza strain defined by the WHO as having significant and current pandemic potential.
Under the programme, which will take effect immediately, the firm will then ship the stockpile to countries when an influenza pandemic has been announced, or in the event of a public health emergency as indicated by the governments concerned.
"The countries can exercise their option to purchase the product at any time" Roche said in a statement on its website on the launch of the programme dubbed Tamiflu Reserves Program (TRP).
Kenya, just like other countries in the World has invested significant amounts of money to build emergency stockpiles of Tamiflu, since the flu virus first emerged in Asia.
Health facilities are holding the drugs to protect people working on the front line of a pandemic, such as health care workers, thereby limiting the spread.
According to Dr Phillip Muthoka, an assistant director of medical services, the drug was too expensive for the Government at a cost of Sh2,200 per dose.
"The commercial rate for a dose is too high especially if we were to procure large quantities," said Dr Muthoka. According to Roche, a pack of 10 Tamiflu capsules will now cost at least Sh654 excluding any local duties, taxes or tariffs.
Public health experts said the country's risk profile has been heightened by its extensive travel and trade relations with other countries of the world and the fact that it is also a regional air transport hub that receives many passengers from around the World.
On Monday experts in Europe reported the first case of swine flu that is resistant to Tamiflu in a Danish patient.
However, WHO said the infection found to be resistant to the antiviral drug represents an isolated case with no current implications for public health.
Low income "Currently only six of the world's countries listed as low income have a stockpile of Tamiflu, which equates to 0.02 per cent coverage for low income economies," said Global Pandemic Preparedness Task Force leader David Reddy in a statement.
"This programme enables them to reserve Tamiflu for pandemic preparedness at a significantly reduced price with the cost of purchase spread over the shelf life of the product".
The latest global figures issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday gave the number of recorded swine flu cases as 70,893 worldwide, with 311 deaths.
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