letter to Shri Naresh Dayal on World Health Assembly , WHA

[Guest guest]

Dear Moderators and Members,

Below and attached is the mail, we at ITPC-India send out to Ministry of Health,

India, regarding Indian delegates supporting the Brazilian draft resolution

which will be table at upcoming World Health Assembly, Geneva during 18-27 May

2009.

I request all the members to write  to Indian delegte at WHA urging to support

the brazilian resolution on Hep " C " . Feel free to use the sample letter below or

you can write on your own ways

yours

 

Ratan

ITPC-India

Coordinator

Ratan Singh <ratanng@...>

_____________________

 

To

Shri Naresh Dayal

Secretary

Dept. of Health & Family Welfare

Government of India

149-A, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-1100 11

Tel: 2306 1863 / 2306 3221

Fax: 23061252

secyhlth@...

Re: Brazil resolution on Viral Hepatitis and other issues relating to the

Disease Agenda item 12.17 of the 62nd World Health Assembly

Dear Sir,

Greeting from ITPC-India!

I am writing to you on behalf of International Treatment Preparedness

Coalition-India (ITPC-India).  ITPC-India is a coalition of various state PLHIV

leaders, Treatment activists, Doctor, Lawyers, and Academia, etc. The goal of

ITPC-India is to Accelerate Treatment access in India through Advocacy and

treatment Literacy.

This is with reference to the agenda item 12.17 (Viral Hepatitis) of the 62nd

World Health Assembly. Brazil is proposing a resolution on the Proposal for the

Establishment of a World Day for the Struggle against Viral Hepatitis and other

issues relating to the Disease. A copy of the Brazilian draft resolution is

attached for your reference.

This draft resolution by Brazil on Viral Hepatitis brings much needed attention

to Hepatitis B and C as a public health problem that needs resources for

surveillance, prevention, diagnostics and treatment.

Hepatitis is a growing public health concern in India

The WHO describes hepatitis C as a “viral time bomb†and estimates that 130

million people worldwide, with 12 million in India, [ii] are chronically

infected.

HIV/HCV Co- infection in India

For people living with HIV/AIDS and organisations who are working on HIV,

hepatitis C is a growing concern as we know from personal experience that for

co-infected people without HCV treatment, liver damage progress rapidly and

antiretroviral (ARV) treatment may also be compromised. In fact, HCV-related

liver disease is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV/HCV.

There are many barriers to optimal care and treatment of people with HCV and

HIV/HCV co –infection in India.  Several reasons, such as a lack of healthcare

provider knowledge on HCV and inadequate diagnostic facilities, unaffordable

medicines are factors that limit availability of HCV treatment.

HCV Treatment is Patented – no generic available

A key reason that makes HCV treatment inaccessible is its exorbitant price. The

current standard of treatment for most genotypes of HCV is a combination therapy

of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavarin. There are currently two

formulations of peg-IFN in the market, manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals and

Schering-Plough. Both these forms of peg-IFN are patented in India. This ensures

that no generic production is possible and that all variations of the standard

combination therapy must be obtained from these companies at high prices (full

course approx.Rs.4-5 lakh.) This discourages the Government of India from

initiating care and treatment for people with HCV.

The Brazilian draft resolution seeks to address many of these above-mentioned

concerns regarding the prevention and treatment of Hepatitis. We therefore

request the Government of India to support this important resolution to be

tabled in the forthcoming 62nd World Health Assembly which will take place in

Geneva during 18-27 May 2009 by the Brazilian Delegation.

Thanking you in anticipation for your co-operation.

Dated: 6th May 2009

Sincerely yours

 

Mr.Naresh Yadav

Chairman

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition-India

Copy to:

Ms. K. Sujatha Rao

Additional Secretary & Director General

National AIDS Control Orgnanisation

9th Floor, Chandralok Bldg

36th Janpath, New Delhi-110001

Tel: 23325343 / 23731774 / 23731778

Fax: 23731746

e-mail: nacoasdg@...

 

Mr.Vineet Chawdhry

Joint Secretary

International Health

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Government of India

Room No.147-A

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110011

Tele/Fax:23062579

e-mail: vineetchawdhry@...

Dr.Sharat Chauhan

Director (IH/IC)

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Government of India

Room No.305-D

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110011

Tele:23061853, 23063246

e-mail: csharat@...

Ms. Aradhana Johri

Joint Secretary

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Government of India

Room No.146-A

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110011

Tele: 23061195

Fax: 23061842

e-mail : aradhana.johri@...

World Health Organization Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR). Hepatitis C

2007. Available on-line at:

http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/viral_cancers/en/index2.html

(Accessed on August 28, 2008).

[ii] Hepatitis C: 2002. WHO Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response, 2002.

Available on-line at:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo2003/en/index4.html

(Accessed on August 28, 2008)