4th - 18 November 2011

ICIUM 2011 Conference Antalya, Turkey

19/04/23

Daniel Kojo ArhinfulNo guchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research

University of Ghana

Experiences and use of the MeTA Data Disclosure Survey Tools in GHANA

07/12/2009 2

Introduction

MeTA’s overall goal is to increase access to essential medicines for the poorest of the poor in developing countries

Ghana and other MeTA pilot countries are developing strategies to promote greater transparency & accountability regarding policies, practices, and outcomes through data disclosure

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Why Disclosure?

Objectives– Enable national MeTA stakeholders to prioritize

country activities to facilitate progressive disclosure over time;

– Create a baseline against which changes in transparency and disclosure during the MeTA pilot implementation can be measured

Consonance with MeTA’s overall goal to increase access to essential medicines for the poorest in developing countries

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Core areas of Data Disclosure

Medicines registration and quality assurance Availability of medicines Price of medicines Policies and practices concerning the promotion

of medicines

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Scope of Information Disclosure

Policies – the laws and regulations that are in place;

Practices – suggested procedures to follow and actual practices; and

Results –achievements in the core area

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Scope of Questions

Policies: Do laws/policies exist? Are they published? Do associated regulations exist?

Practices: Are procedures published? How enforced? Which data exist? Who has access?

Results: Which data are available? Who uses data? Barriers to use? How to promote wider use?

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Process of Data Collection Tool developed by Harvard Group Identification of Key Respondents Questionnaire administered to key Informants Initial discussion of results by technical sub-

group Re-Visits where necessary to validate results Discussion of results by Governing Council Dissemination and discussion by multi-

stakeholder Group

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EXPERIENCE AND USE OF THE TOOL

How did the tools fare?

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Policies of Data Disclosure Do Policies exist? Are they published? Do

associated regulations exist? Very useful in unearthing various policies practices and existing

results. Examples of existing policies: Drug regulation - Food and Drugs Law, P.N.D.C.L 305B, 1992

Customs Excise and Preventive Service (Management) Law 1993; Value Added Tax Act 1998 (Act 546); Public Procurement Act 663 (2003); National Health Insurance Act 2003 (Act 650) and Regulation 2004, (L.I.1809); National Drug Policy (MOH), 2004

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Are practices published? YES

– Available for sale at Assemblies Press, GPC– Distributed free of charge e.g. Drug Policy– Websites e.g.: http://www.fdbghana.gov.gh/

http://ghanastandards.org/

– Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) e.g. – Internal Document not usually in public domain – Egs.

Central Medical Stores Analytical Reports Tender Procurement Evaluation reports Quantities and cost of available medicines

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Who has access to existing data?

Everyone? – Law makes it mandatory for anybody to have

access but more often…… Various entities (technical assistance providers and

programme implementers, health care providers, regulators, importers, manufacturers, researchers, students, donors & multilateral agencies)

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What are the barriers to disclosure

Culture of non-disclosure despite existing laws & policy

Dealing with sensitivities of various interest groups

Mistrust among stakeholders Low literacy among the population Dormant consumer groups Key websites are not updated regularly Lack of resources to disseminate widely Right to Information Bill yet to be passed into

legislation 19/04/23

Recommendations on how to promote wider disclosure

Broader engagement of key stakeholders in a very transparent manner

Promote public awareness & education on medicines access 

More copies of reports printed to meet increasing demand.

Create more awareness in the media & community groups/CSO

Maintenance of key websites eg. MoH, FDB, GSS & NDIRC

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Summary and Conclusions Data disclosure among multi-stakeholder group

provided the following benefits: Stimulated discussion Provided grounds to share and learn among various

stakeholders Provided understanding of existing problems Highlighted challenges for working among multi

stakeholder groups Raised useful questions and led to important

recommendations

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