social effects of “neglected tropical diseases” (on the example of “antivenom crisis”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the crisis situation in global health connected with the problem of neglected tropical diseases and its social effects. Negative social consequences of this group of diseases, include increase in mortality and disability, are most often due to the fact that their importance for modern society is considered in the context of their epidemiological potential. As a result, diseases that are prevalent in certain regions but are not of an infectious nature can be displaced to the periphery of the health agenda. This fact leads to appropriate modifications in the behavior of international companies that form the global market for biopharmaceuticals. As the example we take the problem of snake bites, which was on June 9, 2017 included by the World Health Organization in the list of “neglected tropical diseases”. Since the beginning of the 2000s, in various tropical and subtropical countries, there have been situations called “snake bite crisis” or “serum crisis”. Increasing the cost of the main means of therapy for snake bites – specific immunoglobulins (antiserum or antivenins) leads to the fact that the health systems of developing countries are unable to purchase it, and producers lose interest in developing this kind of biopharmaceutical products. Since the early 1980s, several major producers of antivenins – Syntex, Behringwerke AG, Sanofi-Pasteur, Wyeth – have stopped production of them or have completely left the market. This resulted in a deficit of antivenins observed in several regions, which led to the destruction or distortion of the model of interaction between patients and medical structures, the revival of archaic practices that have become an alternative to modern techniques that have shown inefficiency due to the lack of a key component. It is concluded that a qualitative change in the situation is possible only as a result of the coordinated interaction of various groups of actors (representatives of the expert community, biopharmaceutical companies, national governments, health authorities and international organizations, including WHO).