SPS Ukraine Associate Award: Final Report

The program aimed to improve access to and use of essential medicines for tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) in Ukraine. In 2009, the Ukraine Ministry of Health (MoH) reported that TB was the leading cause of death from infectious diseases in the country, with a high burden of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Ukraine also had the most severe HIV/AIDS epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with an estimated 350,000 people living with HIV and an adult prevalence rate of 1.1 percent in 2009. The SPS Program implemented the eTB Manager, a web-based program designed to strengthen TB programs and improve program outcomes. From September 2010 through December 2012, SPS collaborated with key stakeholders on implementation of eTB Manager, focusing on four technical objectives: improving information systems, building institutional and human resource capacity, improving the use of medicines, and supporting development of policies and other measures to assure medicines quality and safety. SPS activities contributed to the four core technical objectives for improving access to and use of essential medicines for TB and HIV/AIDS. The primary focus on pharmaceutical management information systems (PMIS) was on scaling up implementation of the eTB Manager to provide adequate information related to TB case management and product availability. SPS support resulted in adaptation of eTB Manager to the Ukrainian environment, development of capacity to use the system at national and oblast levels, and initial roll out to rayons. By December 2012, two-thirds of oblasts were entering data into the eTB Manager on a regular basis, with over 50,000 cases entered. SPS Ukraine provided on-site support to oblast and national level TB facilities to reinforce training on the eTB Manager and resolve on-going implementation issues. A core group of users provided ongoing feedback on the system, and training and other support to their peers. Initial benefits included reinforcement of the need for accurate reporting and recording, and information on facilities that provide TB case management by oblast. The eTB Manager obtained official designation as the official national TB electronic registry in 2012, and received the security certificate for the eTB Manager, in accordance with Ukrainian law on patient confidentiality and data security. This achievement marked a significant milestone in the implementation of the eTB Manager and demonstrated the commitment of the SPS Program and its partners to improving access to and use of essential medicines for TB and HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. The SPS Ukraine Associate Award was a collaborative effort that brought together key stakeholders in Ukraine to improve access to and use of essential medicines for TB and HIV/AIDS. The program's achievements demonstrate the importance of strengthening pharmaceutical systems and improving access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.