On its 40th meeting in Bali, Indonesia, the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Biotechnology endorsed the proposal for the mapping activity on Infectious Tropical Diseases in ASEAN member countries. It is grounded on the idea that collaboration in the mapping of the product R&D is essential in the establishment of an ASEAN Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ASEANDI), which is a way to promote innovation and enhance progress in product discovery and development in the region.
The mapping activity aims to establish the capabilities of ASEAN countries for drugs, diagnostics and vaccine innovation in the area of infectious tropical diseases. It also targets the development of database of institutions with capacities for innovation, and another database of available resources.
The Focal Point for the Philippines for the ASEAN Sub Committee on Biotechnology, and the Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) in the Philippines, Dr. Jaime Montoya has taken the initiative and was able to get funding assistance from the World Health Organization Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) to conduct the mapping activity in the ASEAN member countries. A grant of US $60,000 was allocated by WHO-TDR for the project, with Dr. Montoya as the over-all coordinator.
Coordination with the ASEAN-Secretariat and the Focal Points of ASEAN-SCB was made to identify the country coordinators who shall take charge of spearheading and managing the mapping activity in their respective countries.
An organizational meeting was held at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Manila City, Philippines on October 21, 2009. The meeting’s objective was to orient national coordinators of respective ASEAN member-countries of the planned mapping activity, discuss and finalize the methodology, and finalize timelines. Of the ASEAN member countries, only the coordinator from Malaysia was unable to attend.
During the meeting, the country coordinators agreed to focus the mapping exercise on such diseases as malaria, tuberculosis, schistosomiasis, dengue, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil transmitted helminthiases, as well as on other infectious diseases of public health importance. Methods to be employed will include conduct of survey to map capabilities of different private, public, and semi-public institutions, key informant interviews or focus interviews with major stakeholders as well as literature search based on previous surveys and the Internet.
In recognition of the importance of a landscape mapping activity to inform the future of establishment of an Asian product R and D network, the coordinators from different ASEAN member countries expressed their commitment to support a regional network for innovation in product R and D. They agreed to collaborate with other country coordinators for the successful implementation of the project, which will be called the ASEAN Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation or ASEANDI.
Starting this October 2009, collaborative work shall be done among the ASEAN coordinators and WHO offices - TDR, Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO) and Regional for the Western Pacific (WPRO) to map the product R and D landscape for infectious diseases. The target completion date is on March 2010. The development of a generic website for ASEANDI is slated in February 2010. The website will contain the results of the mapping activity. Preparation of the report on mapping activity is set on February and March 2010 for the 1st and 2nd drafts, respectively. Results of the mapping activity shall be presented in the stakeholders meeting scheduled on April 2010. The meeting will finalize the operational framework and strategic plans of ASEANDI.
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