VN029 - An agency to develop a module of aDSM (active TB drug safety monitoring and management) for reporting adverse events integrate into existing TB surveillance systems

Background:

Vietnam is one of the 30 countries with the high burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis with

an estimation of 8,600 new MDR-TB cases in 2018. However, only 3,110 cases were

detected under PMDT in the same year. The treatment unsuccessful rate of MDR-TB

patients in the cohort of 2016 was at 32%, of those 15% was lost to follow up. Most of the

cases in lost follow up group were defaulted. This is mainly because of long duration of

regimen with toxic medications cause many adverse events from mildness to seriousness

during their treatment.

In accordance with WHO guideline on active TB drug safety monitoring and management

(aDSM), NTP Vietnam with new introduction of new regimen, repurposed medications,

new drugs such as Bedaquilne (Bdq), Delamanid (Dlm) for MDR-TB treatment under

certain conditions has initially implemented the aDSM in some piloted provinces before

deploying national guideline on aDSM. aDSM applies to patients on treatment with new

anti-TB drugs, new MDR-TB regimens, including the shorter treatment regimen, and

extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) regimens.

The aims of aDSM is to detect, manage and report suspected or drugs side effects/toxicity

in a good time manner. Under Vietnam circumstance, the agreement between NTP and

National pharmacovigilance center at National Pharmacy, a system of aDSM has been set

for collecting all serious adverse events (SAEs), adverse events of interested (AoIs) among

those whose treatment regimen contained new drugs starting from early 2017.

Digitising aDSM information from PMDT unit is the most suitable solution to report an

adverse event timely and completely. Moreover, information that need to be collected will

be presented in a friendly way under integrated module with current surveillance systems.

Thus, health staff will not miss to enter the data. In addition, the integration of aDSM

module into VITIMES and eTB Manager provide a comprehensive system which includes

valuables data for further analysis. Further, an opportunity of aDSM module is to create a

dashboard showing drug safety management activities in real time. It will provide valuable

information for NTP in policy making and programmatic management.

To support for the National TB program (NTP) in development of the aDSM module that

can be integrated into e-TB manager and VITIMES system, the WHO office in Viet Nam

is recruiting an information technology (IT) company that can work with NTP to develop

the aDSM module.

Address for applications:

Administrative Officer

World Health Organization

UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street, Hanoi, Viet Nam

Or by email at: wpvnmapplicants@who.int

Note: applicants should indicate vacancy notice number and title of position in the email subject