EN NL FR CONTACT Search MEDICAL SERVICES EDUCATION SCIENCE COOPERATION ABOUT ITM NEWS THEME MEDICINES AND ETHICS Poor-quality medicines are especially prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. They represent a threat for individual and public health, by causing therapeutic failure or direct toxicity, by contributing to the emergence of resistance, and by eroding trust in health systems. Unfortunately, they often go undetected (due to the lack of efficient reporting systems), or they are only detected after treatment failure or toxicity become evident. Repressive measures may help fight those medicines that are falsified on purpose, but they will do little to stop the circulation of substandard medicines, which requires sustained capacity strengthening of national regulators, improved surveillance on international supply chains, and increased awareness of purchasers including international donors. Thanks to the support of the DGD, the ITM manages a scientific portfolio focusing on access to quality-assured medicines in low- and middle-income countries, in close collaboration with the QUAMED group. Our specific activities include policy development, research, advocacy, networking and education. Medical research is more and more delocalised to low- and middle-income countries, often for global health reasons (to address the local health needs). It is of paramount importance that such research is methodologically and ethically sound, and responsive to the needs of communities. We animate the informal network of clinical researchers that previously operated under the frame of the Switching the Poles network. We stimulate exchange of view, scientific collaborations and ethical reflection. CONTACT Raffaella Ravinetto (Twitter) LINKS Be-cause Health Working Group on Medicines PEAH Quamed Article: Towards a new structural approach to pharmaceutical innovation, intellectual property and public health: If not now, when? Article: Switching the poles of infectious diseases outbreaks: Time for a new gaze? Publications by Raffaella Ravinetto Video Prof Hans V. Hogerzeil: Access to new and expensive essential medicines, as part of universal health coverage DOWNLOAD Toward a multidisciplinary approach in research on quality of medicines Analysis of the Quality Assurance and pharmaceutical procurement policies of a sample of European donors The lack of quality-assured sources of medicines on the global market: a survey to explore the priority needs of purchasers in the Belgian humanitarian sector UNIT Health Financing News 09 JUL 21 NEW SHORT COURSE PHARMACEUTICAL POLICIES IN HEALTH SYSTEMS An exciting start towards promoting health equity QUALITY OF MEDICINES 31 MAY 21 FIGHTING POOR QUALITY HEALTH PRODUCTS IN TIMES OF COVID-19 AND BEYOND: THE NEED FOR A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH By Raffaella Ravinetto QUALITY OF MEDICINES 09 FEB 21 TOWARD A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IN RESEARCH ON QUALITY OF MEDICINES Proceedings of an online gathering QUALITY OF MEDICINES 20 OCT 20 BELGIUM AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE FIGHT AGAINST THE TRADE IN FALSIFIED MEDICINES ITM’s expertise contributed to the Belgium-led, newly-approved UNODC resolution QUALITY OF MEDICINES 13 FEB 20 FOR POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS, READ THE PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET! Advocating for quality-assured medicines QUALITY OF MEDICINES 21 JAN 20 THE OXFORD STATEMENT AND THE MEDSWECANTRUST CAMPAIGN Raffaella Ravinetto wrote a short piece for PEAH – Policies for Equitable Access to Health QUALITY OF MEDICINES 24 OCT 19 UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE: DRUG QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY CAN GO TOGETHER ITM VOICES 30 JUL 19 ACCESS TO QUALITY MEDICINES GAINS MOMENTUM High-level event at the 72nd World Health Assembly with several donors in attendance put the quality of medicines firmly on the health agenda. The WHA was held on on 21 May 2019. QUALITY OF MEDICINES 21 MAY 19 FACILITATING ETHICS REVIEW DURING OUTBREAKS Raffaella Ravinetto, chairperson of the ITM Institutional Review Board, highlights the recommendations of an expert workshop. ITM VOICES 30 NOV 18 SEMINAR ON ACCESS TO QUALITY-ASSURED MEDICINES The seminar was held on 20 November 2018. QUALITY OF MEDICINES 14 JUN 18 A CALL FOR STRENGTHENING THE REGULATORY CAPACITIES OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN THE SOUTH How ITM and QUAMED contribute to the goal of universal access to safe medicines ITM VOICES 25 OCT 17 BELGIAN COMMITMENT ON QUALITY OF MEDICINES IS UNIQUE, SAYS ITM ITM reacts to the signing of the Belgian declaration of commitment about the quality of pharmaceutical products in developing countries. QUALITY OF MEDICINES 17 OCT 17 POOR QUALITY MEDICINES ON THE PROGRAMME AT ECTMIH The Be-cause health and IDDO Medicines Quality teams will be addressing the issue of poor quality medicines at the European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health. QUALITY OF MEDICINES 20 JUL 17 PHARMACY AND PUBLIC HEALTH Tips and plans from a week in Cape Town ITM VOICES 12 JUN 17 NEW TERMINOLOGY AIDS UNDERSTANDING OF POOR QUALITY MEDICINES The World Health Assembly has agreed on new terminology that aims to establish a common understanding of key terms used to describe poor quality medical products. QUALITY OF MEDICINES 26 APR 17 BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN PHARMACY AND PUBLIC HEALTH All throughout my professional experience, either in humanitarian programs or in international collaborative research, I have often been frustrated by the perception of pharmacy as a purely 'technical' issue. ITM VOICES 09 AUG 16 FINAL WORK OF QUAMED PIONEER COMPLETED Jacques Pinel was a pioneer in the fight for universal access to quality-assured medicines. 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