WHO Chooses India as the focus country to advocate the use of Auto-disable (smart) Syringes

 

HMD as Gavi’s strategic partner of Global Health Safety campaign to lead WHO’s campaign to tackle the pervasive issue of unsafe injection practices
Geneva, Feb 25, 2015: Director General of World Health Organization (WHO) Ms Margaret Chan flagged off “Global Campaign for Safe Injection Practice” the biggest worldwide safe health initiative on the use of a new injection safety policy and global campaign advocating use of auto-disable syringes.

Dangerous injection practices led to the accidental infection worldwide of 1.7 million people with hepatitis B, 315,000 with hepatitis C and as many as 33,800 with HIV in 2010, according to a 2014 WHO-sponsored study.

WHO urged the countries to switch to the exclusive use of the Auto-Disable “smart” syringes, that can only be used once in order to better battle deadly diseases spread by needle sharing in an endeavor to eliminate millions of avoidable deaths and infections due to use of reusable syringes and unsafe injection practices,

WHO DG Ms Chan asked the envoy representing the Indian Govt. & Mr . Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator AIMED & Jt. MD of HMD – the world’s largest manufacturer of AD syringes, to convey her message to Indian Health Minister that, “WHO and Indian Government must work with Industry and Civil society for achieving Public Healthcare Goals and Solutions – such partnerships are vitally important.”

“It is a very proud moment for India that WHO has chosen India as the focus country to tackle the pervasive issue of unsafe injection practices and also because the global leader and innovator in AD syringes happens to be an Indian company – Hindustan Syringes and Medical Device Ltd (HMD) shall work hand in glove with WHO’s global directive for use of Auto Disposable syringes in public healthcare systems” said the elated Mr Rajiv Nath, Jt Managing Director (HMD) Hindustan Syringes and Medical Device Ltd , invited specially to be part of the WHO’s campaign announcement ceremony

“It is also a very fulfilling and gratifying moment for my company and an emotional one at personal level because now thousands of people, unnecessarily losing life in our country due to unsafe injection practices will get a new lease of life due to the use of Auto Disable Syringes from only immunization to all therapeutic usage to address unsafe injection practices,” added Mr Nath

“HMD has been campaigning for years for the use safe injection devices and practices. Being the world’s largest producer of Auto-Disable syringes in the world ,we, are humbled to be a part of this biggest of WHO’s Global Initiative since the remarkable success of polio eradication and hand-wash awareness campaigns ,” said Mr. Nath

“HMD as Gavi’s strategic partner shall play a very crucial role in WHO’s 3rd Global Health Initiative- ‘Safe Injection Policy’ to help prevent millions of deaths and serious infections caused due to reusable syringes and unsafe injection practices not only in India but globally”. “Syringes should be a life giver, not life taker,” said Mr Nath.

It may be noted that HMD-an Indian Co. happens to be the world’s largest manufacturer of AD syringes and is also a coalition partner of SIGN (Safe Injection Global Network) and a strategic partner of GAVI – the global vaccine alliance for public-private health partnership committed to increasing access to immunization in developing countries – and has for years been an active campaigner for safe health practices in the interest of both patient as well as health workers.

According to Mr. Nath “the prevalent practice of reusable syringes in many parts of the world including India has been found to be the key cause for millions of infections and deaths due to HIV, Hepatitis B & C and other serious diseases while increasing countries’ healthcare expenditure many folds. The needle stick injury has also been a major health hazard for healthcare workers.”

(NHSRC) National Health Systems Resource Centre- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as part of their latest study, conducted HTA (Health Technology Assessment) has also substantiated the need to use Auto Disable Syringes for curative and immunization injections as the most appropriate technology to prevent noscomial infections.

“Adoption of safety-engineered syringes is absolutely critical to protecting people worldwide from becoming infected with HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. This should be an urgent priority for all countries,” says Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the WHO HIV/AIDS Department.

“WHO estimates that 260,000 HIV infections (5% of global burden) and 21 million (32% of global burden) HBV infections and 2 million HCV infections per year were caused by use of reusable syringes and unsafe injections.

As per WHO, 50 billion injections were given in 2014 in the developing world. Of these 6.6 million were possibly given with reused equipment. The reuse rate could be as high as 75% in some countries”, Mr.Nath further added.

The use of AD syringes could deliver a net savings to USD 850 million worldwide from reduced treatment cost of HIV, HBV and HCV resulting from their transmission through use of unsafe injection practices and needle stick injuries among healthcare workers.

“The use of auto-disable syringes has been identified by WHO as one of the main ways of preventing the reuse of syringes and needles and accompanying infections and deaths due to its prevalent usage.” said Mr.Nath.

A Study Conducted by the India CLEN Program Evaluation Network on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Government of India, and the World Bank (2002-2004), revealed that around 65% of syringes used in the country are not disposed or sterilized, and are reused.

It may be recalled that in July 2014, the Union Ministry of Health had launched a Handbook of Guidelines for Safe Injection Practices to promote awareness about the benefits and use of AD syringes.

However, the implementation of government’s advisory for use of AD syringes for therapeutic injections has been half hearted in India despite periodic reminders. It is hoped that with WHO’s latest mandate, there will be greater seriousness in ensuring elimination of reusable syringe practices.

“I do very sincerely hope that Government of India ,in light of the WHO initiative will now follow its own directives on the use of AD syringes in public healthcare system and in fact make it mandatory for use of AD in all public healthcare system,” said Mr Nath.CCI Newswire