USP DQI TRIP REPORT

Agency for International Development (USAID), conducted three workshops in Nay Pyi Taw, Burma, as part of its activities to stem the flow of artemisinin-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The workshops were held from May 4-12, 2012, and were attended by 67 participants from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Burma Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Vector Borne Disease Control (VBDC), and the Department of Medical Research-Lower Burma (DMR-LB). The first workshop, on establishing a Medicine Quality Monitoring (MQM) program, was attended by 25 central and regional staff from the MOH. The training was delivered by PQM staff and an expert from the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) and involved presentations and hands-on practice on correct and effective sampling protocols and documentation of selected antimalarial medicines. The participants also received instruction on the GPHF Minilab and developed an MQM protocol document outlining the steps and activities involved in the program. The second workshop, on conducting compendial analysis of antimalarials using pharmacopeial monographs methods and procedures, was attended by 11 staff from the FDA quality control (QC) laboratories and DMR-LB. The training involved presentations from PQM staff and practical work on a variety of compendial analyses. The third workshop, on conducting a baseline survey on the quality of antimalarials in selected sites in Burma, was attended by 31 participants from VBDC, DMR-LB, and Burma FDA. The workshop aimed to establish a baseline for the quality of antimalarials in the country and to identify areas for improvement. The workshops were facilitated by PQM staff, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) country office and the Global Pharma Health Fund. The participants were from various departments within the MOH, including the FDA, VBDC, and DMR-LB. The PQM program works to strengthen medicines quality assurance systems by providing technical assistance to national medicines quality control laboratories and national disease programs in the GMS. Since 2003, PQM has worked with the MOH in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan province of China to develop mechanisms for ensuring the quality of medicines, including antimalarials. The PQM program's FY12 goal in Burma is to understand the existing situation regarding the quality of antimalarials, including the types and sources available in the market, to help guide future appropriate intervention. The program aims to strengthen the medicines quality assurance system in Burma and to improve the availability and quality of antimalarials in the country. The workshops were a key component of the PQM program's activities in Burma and aimed to build the capacity of the MOH and other stakeholders to establish a medicine quality monitoring program, conduct compendial analysis, and conduct a baseline survey on the quality of antimalarials. The program's goal is to improve the quality and availability of antimalarials in Burma and to contribute to the global effort to combat artemisinin-resistant malaria. The PQM program has a long history of working in the GMS, and its activities in Burma are part of a broader effort to strengthen medicines quality assurance systems in the region. The program's work in Burma is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The PQM program's activities in Burma are focused on improving the quality and availability of antimalarials, which is critical for the effective treatment and control of malaria. The program's work in Burma is also part of a broader effort to strengthen the medicines quality assurance system in the country and to improve the availability and quality of medicines in general. The PQM program's activities in Burma are supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The program's work in Burma is part of a broader effort to combat artemisinin-resistant malaria and to improve the quality and availability of antimalarials in the GMS. The PQM program's activities in Burma are focused on improving the quality and availability of antimalar