TY - JOUR KW - Pharmacovigilance AU - Barry A AU - Olsson S AU - Khaemba C AU - Kabatende J AU - Dires T AU - Fimbo A AU - Minzi O AU - Bienvenu E AU - Makonnen E AU - Kamuhabwa A AU - Oluka M AU - Guantai A AU - van Puijenbroek E AU - Bergman U AU - Nkayamba A AU - Mugisha M AU - Gurumurthy P AU - Aklillu E AB - Monitoring the safety of medicines used in public health programs (PHPs), including the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) program, is a WHO recommendation, and requires a well-established and robust pharmacovigilance system. The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacovigilance systems within the NTD programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The East African Community Harmonized Pharmacovigilance Indicators tool for PHPs was used to interview the staff of the national NTD programs. Data on four components, (i) systems, structures, and stakeholder coordination; (ii) data management and signal generation; (iii) risk assessment and evaluation; and (iv) risk management and communication, were collected and analyzed. The NTD programs in the four countries had a strategic master plan, with pharmacovigilance components and mechanisms to disseminate pharmacovigilance information. However, zero individual case safety reports were received in the last 12 months (2017/2018). There was either limited or no collaboration between the NTD programs and their respective national pharmacovigilance centers. None of the NTD programs had a specific budget for pharmacovigilance. The NTD program in all four countries had some safety monitoring elements. However, key elements, such as the reporting of adverse events, collaboration with national pharmacovigilance centers, and budget for pharmacovigilance activity, were limited/missing. BT - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health DO - 10.3390/ijerph18041941 IS - 4 LA - eng N2 - Monitoring the safety of medicines used in public health programs (PHPs), including the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) program, is a WHO recommendation, and requires a well-established and robust pharmacovigilance system. The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacovigilance systems within the NTD programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The East African Community Harmonized Pharmacovigilance Indicators tool for PHPs was used to interview the staff of the national NTD programs. Data on four components, (i) systems, structures, and stakeholder coordination; (ii) data management and signal generation; (iii) risk assessment and evaluation; and (iv) risk management and communication, were collected and analyzed. The NTD programs in the four countries had a strategic master plan, with pharmacovigilance components and mechanisms to disseminate pharmacovigilance information. However, zero individual case safety reports were received in the last 12 months (2017/2018). There was either limited or no collaboration between the NTD programs and their respective national pharmacovigilance centers. None of the NTD programs had a specific budget for pharmacovigilance. The NTD program in all four countries had some safety monitoring elements. However, key elements, such as the reporting of adverse events, collaboration with national pharmacovigilance centers, and budget for pharmacovigilance activity, were limited/missing. PB - MDPI AG PY - 2021 EP - 1941 T2 - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health TI - Comparative Assessment of the Pharmacovigilance Systems within the Neglected Tropical Diseases Programs in East Africa—Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7922898/pdf/ijerph-18-01941.pdf VL - 18 SN - 1660-4601 ER -