Aventis

World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation and Aventis, one of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, have formed a partnership to build a sustainable programme to combat African Trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness. Specific objectives of the partnership are to:

Increase the supply of drugs to treat sleeping sickness;

Promote disease managment and control; and

Conduct research and development to enhance current drug treatment and to develop new drugs.

The partnership will implement their objectives through a three part strategy:

Drug supply: Aventis will produce and provide the three essential drugs used to treat sleeping sickness. WHO, in partnership with Medecins san frontieres, will arrange for the distribution of the drugs to health care personnel.

Disease management: The initiative will reinforce systematic screening of populations, improve diagnosis, increase treatment centre capacity, improve access to drugs, and increase surveillance and training.

Research and Development: A programme will be developed to focus on enhancing drug treatment and efficacy and safety, drug combinations and development of potential new drugs.

Aventis Pharma has committed $25 million to support the fight against sleeping sickness in Africa.

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