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The FIP “Medicines to. . .” event took place at the FIP congress in Cape Town, South Africa, today. The “Medicines to...” initiative, which is part of FIP’s HumanityRx programme, is based on a model of partnership with charity organisations in areas affected by emergencies and disasters and raising funds for medicines through pharmacies.
Following the success of the “Medicines to Ukraine” model initiated by the European Association of Employed Community Pharmacists in Europe, last year, the FIP Council ratified a proposal by the Pharmacists Defence Association for work on similar schemes”. At the event, an agreement for Africa was signed by Sham Moodley on behalf of several organisations in South Africa, Pharmacists Without Borders UK, and FIP. "The risk of humanitarian crises be it through war and conflict or natural disasters is always a possibility no matter where we live. Pharmacists and their teams have played multiple roles from service provision to logistics and support in disaster areas. The ‘Medicines To’ campaign provides us an opportunity to support and expand that role and ensure that we are able to deliver medicines in areas of need when the situation demands,” Mr Moodley said.
The signing was attended by Khadija Jamaloodien, chief director, Health Products Procurement, National Department of Health, South Africa. “Today, we are here to extend our support to the FIP ‘medicines to’ initiative as a marker of our social solidarity and shared humanity,” she said. “Pharmacists are key to addressing challenges within a context of limited resources, and medicine supply shortages. . . . We would like to give our thanks to all those pharmacists who go above and beyond to provide services even under very difficult and trying circumstances,” Ms Jamaloodien added.
An agreement for Gaza was signed by Dr Abdulhameed Olimat of the Jordan Pharmacists’ Association (JPA), Pharmacists Without Borders UK and FIP. “The ‘Medicines to Gaza’ campaign can achieve its primary goal of improving access to medicines for communities in Gaza only through the collaborative efforts of JPA, FIP, the FIP regional forums and members. This collaboration underscores our shared humanity and our collective professional and ethical responsibilities to support communities torn by humanitarian crises,” said Dr Salah Shubair, JPA.
Organisations signing Medicines to Africa were:
- Egyptian Organisation of Pharmacy
- Independent Community Pharmacy Association (ICPA)
- Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa (IPASA)
- NGO Partner- Gift of the Givers
- Pharmaceutical Logistics Association of South Africa (PLASA)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana
- Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya
- Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
- Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Tanzania
- Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia
- Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe
- Pharmacist first working group (Corporates)
- South African Association of Community Pharmacists (SAACP)
- South African Association of Hospital and Institutional Pharmacists (SAAHIP)
- South African Association of Pharmacists in Industry
- South African National Defence Force (SANDF)
- South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC)
- Universities (Academy)
Organisations signing Medicines to Gaza were:
- Egyptian Organisation of Pharmacy
- Jordan Pharmacists Association
- Lebanese Order of Pharmacists
- Malaysian Pharmacists' Society
- Pharmacists’ Defence Association