Novartis

Novartis urges women to reduce their diabetes risk

November 13, 2017 By News Reader

Novartis urges women to reduce their diabetes risk:

– Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally
– Novartis supports World Diabetes Day campaign urging women to prioritise healthy lifestyles

Johannesburg, 13 November, 2017 – Ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November, Novartis South Africa has called on women to make themselves aware of diabetes risk factors and take steps to improve their health and that of their families.

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a growing health risk for both men and women around the world. With this year’s World Diabetes Day focus on women, the International Diabetes Federation notes that there are currently over 199 million women living with diabetes worldwide, with this number projected to increase to 313 million by 20401. Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths each year1. Two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age1, accounting for over 60 million women at increased risk of difficulty conceiving and poor pregnancy outcomes due to their diabetes1.

Across Africa, the regional prevalence of diabetes was 3.2%, expected to increase to 3.7% by 2040. This region has the highest proportion (66.7%) of undiagnosed diabetes, and over the past few decades, diabetes has emerged as an important non-communicable disease (NCD) in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA)2.

In South Africa, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that over 2.3 million people have diabetes but around 61% of them are undiagnosed2. In addition, the prevalence of diabetes in rural dwellers is increasing rapidly, with the Asian and Coloured populations having the highest prevalence of diabetes in South Africa2.

Diabetes is a leading cause of death among women, yet the risk of developing diabetes as well as the risk of premature death among people with diabetes can be significantly reduced through proper management.

“There are clearly modifiable risk factors driving the diabetes epidemic; the rising prevalence of obesity is one of the most important2,” says Dr Nicola Lister, Medical Director and Chief Scientific Officer at Novartis South Africa.

Steps to take
“Up to 70% of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented through lifestyle interventions such as improving nutrition and increasing physical activity3,” says Lister. Women and girls are the focus of this year’s World Diabetes Day because, across much of the world, gender roles and power dynamics influence vulnerability to diabetes, affect access to health services and health seeking behaviour for women, and amplify the impact of diabetes on women. Women also play an important role in making the lifestyle and nutrition choices on behalf of their families. Empowering them with knowledge will help them safeguard their own health and reduce the risk of their families developing diabetes too3.

Diabetes screening is very important, since early detection allows for improved management. Achieving optimal diabetes outcomes requires access to essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management, education and information. In addition, pregnant women require improved access to screening, care and education to achieve positive outcomes for both mother and child1, says the International Diabetes Federation.

“Novartis supports the World Diabetes Day 2017 campaign to raise awareness around the prevention and management of diabetes. We urge South Africans to empower themselves with knowledge on diabetes and to make lifestyle changes to improve their health,” says Lister.

References
1) International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas, Seventh Edition, 2015
2) The 2017 SEMDSA Guideline for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Guideline Committee. JEMDSA 2017; 22(1)(Supplement 1): S1-S192 S8- S10
3) International Diabetes Federation: World Diabetes Day 2017 Infographic

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Novartis supports urban wellness

September 13, 2017 By News Reader

Novartis supports urban wellness:

City living could literally be making you ill, and Novartis is rallying partners to find solutions to urban health challenges

Johannesburg, 13 September 2017 – Rapid urbanisation in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa is having a significant impact on health and wellbeing. By 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities. One effect of rapid urbanisation is the growth of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Healthcare services in growing cities are struggling, and are already swamped with ongoing challenges like infectious diseases, leaving limited time or resources to tackle NCDs like high blood pressure.

The Novartis Foundation seeks to lead the way in helping address these challenges, advocating a multidisciplinary approach to finding holistic solutions for healthy cities and communities. One way it is doing so is by convening experts for brainstorming sessions such as the recent Urban Health in Africa Dialogue event in Cape Town, hosted by the Novartis Foundation in partnership with the International Society for Urban health (ISUH), InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) – Health (IAP), International Council for Science (ICSU), Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), and the University of Basel.

Delegates at the Dialogue event noted that for the first time in history, more than 50% of the world’s population lives in an urban area. In Africa in particular, the unprecedented scale and pace of urbanisation have impacted disease patterns and exacerbated critical health inequities, while posing challenges for sustainability in housing, infrastructure, basic services, food security, education, employment, safety, and natural resources, among others. In addition, they said health literacy levels may also be lower than in high-income countries, so populations are less likely to engage in health seeking behaviours.

Preventable and controllable conditions are among the world’s biggest killers, reports the World Health Organization (WHO).1 NCDs such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer are among the leading causes of death around the world – yet these diseases can be effectively treated or possibly avoided altogether. According to the WHO1, ischaemic heart disease and stroke have remained the leading causes of death globally for the past 15 years, and together, accounted for a combined 15 million deaths in 2015.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claimed 3.2 million lives worldwide in 2015, while lung cancer (along with trachea and bronchus cancers) caused 1.7 million deaths. Diabetes killed 1.6 million people in 2015, up from less than 1 million in 20001.

In South Africa, NCDs are among the top ten natural causes of death, accounting for tens of thousands of deaths annually2 p29-30. According to Stats SA cerebrovascular diseases were the second leading underlying cause of death in South Africa after TB, causing 5.1% of deaths in 2014. Diabetes mellitus was next causing 5% of all deaths. Other forms of heart disease caused 4.7% of all natural deaths and hypertensive diseases accounted for 3.9% of all natural deaths.

“Greater awareness, healthier lifestyles, early intervention and effective treatment and compliance could significantly reduce the number of deaths due to NCDs,” says Dr Thomas Kowallik, CEO and Country President of Novartis South Africa.

In line with the WHO Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs3, Novartis notes that measures that can contribute to a longer, healthier life3 include:

– Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Reduce your intake of salt, sugar, processed foods and unhealthy fats such as saturated fatty acids and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and increase your consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables – aim for more than five total servings (400 grams) of fruit and vegetables per day.
– Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity is associated with many diet-related chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension and certain cancers.
– Limit your alcohol intake. Worldwide, 3.3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol4 and alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions, including NCDs such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
– Quit smoking, or don’t start smoking at all. Tobacco use, along with an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol are major contributors to NCDs.
– Exercise regularly. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day.
– Consult your doctor about any symptoms that do not disappear in a week, and go for regular health screenings.
– Follow your doctor’s orders. If you are diagnosed with an NCD, carefully follow the treatment regimen and guidelines given to you by your doctor.

As part of global efforts to fight key chronic NCDs, Novartis proactively identifies partnership opportunities that will increase access to medicines addressing cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and respiratory illnesses to lower-middle-income countries as defined by the WHO.

References

– World Health Organization. The top 10 causes of death: Fact sheet. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/. Updated January 2017. Last accessed 02/02/2017.
– StatsSA: Mortality and causes of death in South Africa, 2014: Findings from death notification. http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P03093/P030932014.pdf. Cited 2 December 2015. P29-30. Last accessed 01/02/2017.
– World Health Organization. Global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020. http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd-action-plan/en/. Publication date: 2013. Last accessed 01/02/2017.
-World Health Organization. Alcohol Fact sheet. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs349/en/. Updated January 2015. Last accessed 01/02/2017.

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Novartis highlights hypertension risks

May 19, 2017 By News Reader

Novartis highlights hypertension risks:

• This World Hypertension Day, Novartis warns of unhealthy habits that raise your blood pressure

Johannesburg, 17 May, 2017 – The old adage ‘take it with a pinch of salt’ is meant to be a positive one – implying that a pinch of salt is of little consequence. But for those with high blood pressure and chronic heart conditions, that pinch of salt could be enough to push your daily salt intake into dangerous territory.

Dr Thomas Kowallik, CEO and Country President of Novartis South Africa, says excessive salt intake is one of several factors increasing the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). “World Hypertension Day on 17 May seeks to raise awareness of the health risks associated with hypertension, and the steps people can take to lower their risks of developing hypertension.”

According to the International Society of Hypertension, hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and was named ‘the number one killer’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) in The World Health Report in 2002. People with hypertension have a four times higher risk of stroke and twice the risk of myocardial infarction (a heart attack) of those with normal blood pressure, says the Society. Lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with highly processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use, are cited as reasons for the rapid increase in the number of people with hypertension worldwide1.

“South Africans have unacceptably high levels of hypertension, with up to 30% of adults known to be hypertensive2. High salt consumption is a key driver of hypertension, and there is strong evidence to indicate that South Africans consume up to 2-3 times the recommended daily allowance of 5 g,” says Kowallik.

“Salt from processed food makes up as much as 75% of total salt intake in high-income countries3. South Africans tend to follow international trends to include unhealthy processed foods in their diet, and on top of that, they season their meals with liberal sprinklings of salt. This is dangerous behavior, particularly among those with high blood pressure or heart disease,” says Kowallik. He notes that the Department of Health’s salt reduction targets for 2013 – 2019, along with increased awareness among consumers, could help reduce deaths and chronic illness caused by hypertension in South Africa.

According to World Action on Salt and Health, a high salt intake is associated with raised blood pressure, which is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, responsible for 62% of stroke and 49% of coronary heart disease4.
There is also considerable evidence that the onset of heart failure could be delayed or even prevented by modifying risk factors and controlling hypertension5 p18, and a reduction in sodium intake reduces blood pressure in people both with and without hypertension5.

“Studies have found a significant association between sodium intake and all stroke, fatal stroke, and fatal coronary heart disease events6 P8. Clearly, it is important to restrict salt intake to healthy levels to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and for patients at risk of stroke or coronary heart disease to be particularly careful to follow their doctors’ guidelines on sodium intake,” says Kowallik. “However, this does not mean one should eliminate all salt from one’s diet. Sodium is an essential nutrient, required for normal physiological function7 P1.”

People with, or considered at risk, of stroke or heart disease should take extra care to ensure that they keep their salt intake well below the recommended maximum of 5g a day4.

References:

http://ish-world.com/public/background-info.htm
JEMDSA 2015 Volume 20 No 1: Salt Intake in SA: A current perspective.
JEMDSA 2015 Volume 20 No 1: Salt Intake in SA: A current perspective.
http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/salthealth/factsheets/stroke/. Last accessed 13/02/17
2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure Guidelines: The Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) P18
Effect of lower sodium intake on health: systematic review and meta-analyses [OPEN ACCESS]:Nancy J Aburto scientist, Anna Ziolkovska intern, Lee Hooper senior lecturer in research synthesis and nutrition, Paul Elliott professor, Francesco P Cappuccio Cephalon professor of cardiovascular medicine and epidemiology, Joerg J Meerpohl deputy director: BMJ 2013;346:f1326 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f1326 (Published 5 April 2013) P8
Hypertension Compendium: Sodium Intake and Cardiovascular Health: Martin O’Donnell, Andrew Mente, Salim Yusuf. Downloaded from http://circres.ahajournals.org/ on February 12, 2017 P

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Novartis improves ranking in 2016 Access to Medicine Index

November 18, 2016 By News Reader

South Africa, November 17, 2016 – Novartis ranked third in the 2016 Access to Medicine Index (up from 4th place in 2014), in recognition of its efforts to improve worldwide access to healthcare.

The Index measures the performance of the top-20 pharmaceutical companies to improve access to medicines and healthcare in developing countries, and is conducted every other year. It covers seven categories, including access-to-medicine management, capacity building, pricing, manufacturing and distribution.

“We share the fundamental aim of the Access to Medicine Index: to close the access gap in developing countries,” said Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. “We are delighted that our actions have been recognized, but more work is needed. In order to improve access even further, we will continue to work on creating more scalable and sustainable approaches to increase the affordability and availability of medicines to underserved patients.”

Novartis was the industry leader in access-to-medicine management and capacity building. The company also performed strongly on R&D, with a pipeline spanning all four disease categories in the scope of the Index. Novartis also rose to the top three in pricing, manufacturing and distribution, significantly expanding its equitable pricing strategies.

Two programs in particular were recognized as best practice: Novartis Access, the portfolio of 15 on- and off-patent medicines to fight chronic diseases in lower-income countries; and ComHIP, a program supported by the Novartis Foundation and its partners to evaluate the impact of an innovative healthcare model on hypertension control and self-management in Ghana, Africa. Furthermore, the company’s long-term product donations for liver fluke and leprosy stood out for their reach and broad coverage, according to the Index.

In capacity building, Novartis improved on its already strong performance in 2014. The Index highlights the company’s engagement with the University of Cape Town in South Africa on malaria and tuberculosis drug discovery, as well as the award-winning SMS for Life program, a public-private partnership to manage medicine stocks in sub-Saharan Africa. SMS for Life has been piloted in more than 10,000 healthcare facilities and is being scaled up using smartphones and tablet computers.

Novartis pursues a combination of approaches to expand access to its medicines – philanthropy, zero-profit initiatives and social ventures. In 2015, the company’s access-to-healthcare initiatives reached almost 66 million patients globally, and training and healthcare service programs reached 12 million people.

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Novartis urges women to reduce their diabetes risk

Novartis supports urban wellness

Novartis highlights hypertension risks

Novartis improves ranking in 2016 Access to Medicine Index

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