Publications
BUKO Pharma-Kampagne mainly works in Germany. Therefore only some of our publications are available in English.
AIDS -
Normalization in the North, Tragedy in the South? 
Whereas HIV/Aids is regarded as a controllable chronic disease in the western world - not the least because of the availability of effective medication -, the situation for large parts of the world´s population is dramatic: In Africa, south of the Sahara, 23 million people are infected, among them about two million children. However, the infection figures are also on the rise in Eastern Europe.
This brochure does not only give you recent figures and facts concerning the worldwide spread of HIV. Is also summarizes the latest developments in the fields of HIV-prevention, therapy and research. Interview with experts on the situations in India, South Africa, Germany and the Ukaine present first-hand information and illustrate the problems encountered in prevention work or as regards access to effective therapies.
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2009, 30 pages; ISBN 978-3-928879-34-7; € 5.00
Medical research: Science in the public interest 
"Equitable licenses" for the results of publicly sponsored medical research
Public funding often plays a key role in research and development (R & D) of new medicines. But such innovative drugs are often not affordable for people in poor countries. How can access to these publicly-funded innovations be secured for as many people as possible? How can we in particular improve access to medicine for people in developing countries? One possible solution for this challenge could come with the concept of "Equitable Licensing". Equitable licenses, examples of which have been developed by legal experts and universities in the USA, are specific licenses for the technology transfer between public institutions and the pharmaceutical industry.
This brochure presents background information about challenges in the drug supply in poor countries. Numerous case studies show the US experience with new licensing models and highlight possible approaches for the specific German setting.
Editor: BUKO Pharma-Kampagne (Bielefeld), Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin and the Center for European Law Politics / University of Bremen with financial support by Volkswagen Foundation.
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2009, 32 pages, ISBN 978-3-928879-33-0 € 5.00
Tuberculosis - A social disease
Tuberculosis, alongside leprosy, is probably the world´s oldest infectious disease. It has accompanied humanity for thousands of years, damning its victims to certain death. With the introduction of antibiotic therapy about 70 years ago, it was believed that tuberculosis, this old enemy of humankind, was finally conquered. Today the disease can be cured in most cases. But still many patients in poor countries are not being treated appropriately or they are not receiving any treatment at all. Not only financial problems are to blame for this health crisis, but also cultural and social reasons as well as a lack of information.
The present booklet examines tuberculosis as a social disease around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century and today. In order to understand the nature of tuberculosis and in order to be able to fight it effectively, it is important then, as it is now, to observe the disease in its social dimension. Here there are some astonishing parallels which can be drawn; the situation of sick people in Germany around 100 years ago in some ways resembles the life of patients in poor countries today.
The conclusion: the fight against poverty, political strategies, better chances for education and equal rights for men and women are as urgent in the fight against TB as appropriate and affordable therapies.
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2008, 24 pages, ISBN 978-3-928879-31-6 € 5.00
Relevant health information for empowered citizens. 
Health information is indispensable for maintaining and recovering good health, both for the individual and society as a whole. But what is the best way to find orientation in health matters? Many citizens are concerned with this subject, but in the political context it is often missed out on. In the light of the pharamceutical industry´s efforts to change regulatory requirements for information on health, diesases and drugs in their favour, it is high time that clear criteria for good health information are broght into the public debate. This is what has been done by a league of independent groups from Europe.
For many years now, the BUKO Pharma-Kampagne has stood up for non-partisan patient information. BUKO is a co-founder of Health Action International (HAI) and member of the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), as well as of the Medicines in Europe Forum (MiEF). The focus of BUKO Pharma-Kampagne´s work is the impact of European health policy on health systems in developing countries. The reprint at hand contributs to the important debate about the value of independent health information.
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2008, 12 pages, ISBN 978-3-938879-32-3; € 5.00
Tuberculosis - A global threat. 
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common infectious disease in the world. One third of the world population - around two billion people - carry the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Only 5-10% of those will ever become ill. Poverty, bad living conditions and malnutrition are the key factors and the main course for the spread of the disease. People from Asia, Africa and the Middle East have the highest risk to get TB.
Contents:
- Suffering from consumption
- Poverty is causing illness - everywhere
- The fight against resistance
- TB and Aids - a lethal combination
- Money makes the world go round
- Drug research as public good
- Combating poverty is active health policy
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2007, 23 pages, ISBN-10: 3-928879-30-8; ISBN-13: 978-3-928879-30-9; € 5.00
Counterfeit medicines - what are the problems?
Reports on counterfeit drugs are mushrooming. How frequent are fake drugs in reality and which health risks do they mean for people in developing and industrialized countries? What is at stake and what are sustainable solutions?
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2007, 12 pages € 1.00
Drug research - Science in the public interest?
Drugs should be a blessing to mankind. But does drug research come up to its
own expectations? The world needs science in the human interest.
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2005, 20 pages € 1.00
Data and Facts 2004: German drugs in the Third World.
This is the fourth study of Pharma-Kampagne about the quality of German drugs in poor countries. The survey includes an evaluation of more than 2500 drugs sold in 46 countries. The results are presented in many graphs and tables. A list of all drugs is included. A Spanish version and a summary in Portugese is also available (see below)
2004, 56 pages, ISBN 3-928879-25-1, € 2.00
Also available as download: Data and Facts: German drugs in the Third World [PDF 1,4 MB]
[Spanish] Medicamentos alemanes en prueba
Las firmas farmacéuticas alemanas son las que ofrecen mayor cantidad de medicamentos en el Tercer Mundo y están orgullosas de su fama. El estudio de medicamentos de la BUKO- Pharma Kampagne relativiza la imagen positiva de las mismas. Por cuarta vez investigamos la oferta de medicamentos alemanes en los países del sur. Fácit: de 2.534 medicamentos valorizados, reciben la nota de “irracionales” el 39%, según criterios clínico-farmacológicos. Data y hechos 2004: medicamentos alemanes en el Tercer Mundo [PDF/ 854 kB]
[Portugese] Negócios lucrativos: medicamentos alemães no 30 mundo
Versão reduzida para o Brasil do estudo da BUKO-Pharma-Kampagne "Sprudelnde Geschäfte: Deutsche Medikamente in der 3. Welt” Negócios lucrativos: medicamentos alemães no 3o mundo [PDF/ 257 kB]
No life without pills? - The medicalisation of daily life
This case study looks into the problems pharmaceuticals in Germany and their effects on the countries of the south. Taking pills has become an integral part of life for a great number of people in many countries. And it is not just old and ill people who consider taking pills part of their normal daily routine, but more and mor healthy individuals, among them particularly young people. Food supplements, pills which claim to threnghten the immune system and performance-promoting tablets are nowadays not only sold in pharmacies, but increasingly in supermarkets as well. Pharmaceuticals have become a new society drug. There is however, hardly any problem awareness as with other habits like alcohol or nicotine. What is behind this?
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1/2002, 16 pages € 1.00
Dialogue or Engineering of Consent? - Opportunities and risks of talking to industry
Large corporations increasingly meet with criticism that their business activities harm people and the environment. Citizen groups all over the world have been requesting them to account for their practices concerning workers, consumers and the wider community in which they operate. This has often caused heated controversies.
For a while corporations have altered their reactions. While earlier treating their critics harshly they now try to involve critical groups into a ´dialogue´. But what does this mean? Have large corporations undergone a remarkable conversion and, if so, in which direction are they going? Or are we facing an industry´s strategy to defeat questionable marketing practices?
This booklet supports interested groups in weighing the pros and cons of talking to the industry.
Also available in German.
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Undermining scientific standards: WHO´s Pharmaceutical Newsletter and Dipyrone
For the first time in its history the scientific journal of the World Health Organization WHO Pharmaceutical Newsletter has published a dubious article white-washing the controversial painkiller dipyrone. This incident raises a number of questions related to the scientific credibility of the WHO. How are articles for the newsletter selected? What about peer review? How far does the influence of the pharmaceutical industry reach into the United Nations system?
Peter S. Schönhöfer, MD, Professor (em.) of Clinical Pharmacology, laureate of the Integrity Award of Tranparency International 2002, who was involved in the regulation of dipyrone, shows that this example could serve as a model for the issues that need to be addressed, e.g. independent review of articles, prevention of commercial influence etc.
2/2002, 4 pages, € 1.00
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Trading with health - Hoechst and Merck under the microscope
A few international companies are in firm control of the pharmaceutical market in the Third World nowadays. Among them are the German pharma giants, Hoechst Marion Roussel (Aventis) and Merck. Yet, their product ranges do not fulfil the people´s needs. While much money is made with unneeded products, life-saving drugs for the most important diseases are unavailable. Desire for profits restricts research and in some cases the production of urgently needed drugs is even closed down. This prompted the Pharma Campaign to examine the business with health critically.
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2000, 8 pages € 1.00
Drugs "Made in Germany" - Not always safe - The effectiveness of the German drug export control
The BUKO Pharma Campaign has carried out research to evaluate the effectiveness of the German export control provisions and the way in which the authorities and customs offices implement them. It identifies the loopholes in the law that can be exploited by exporting companies, and shows that the current controls are inadequate in various ways. The research indicates that these problems have to be solved urgently.
1/1999, 8 pages, € 1.00
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Dipyrone - a drug no one needs
A survey of commercial prescribing guides in 12 areas of the world showed that in 1987-8, out of 1739 analgesics marketed 26% contained dipyrone. In fact dipyrone was the second most frequently used ingredient after paracetamol. It might be assumed that the safety of such a drug was well established but this is not the case. On the contrary there is a clearly proven link between dipyrone use and serious adverse effects including agranulocytosis and shock. Dipyrone has no therapeutic advantages over other, much safer, analgesics. It is an unacceptably dangerous drug which we do not need.
The document is published by BUKO Pharma-Campaign and HAl-Europe as part of their campaign for rational drug use. It contains the following three sections:
1) A review of dipyrone;
2) A survey of dipyrone-containing products from 12 areas of the world;
3) An annotated bibliography of original articles, reports and reviews on
dipyrone.
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1993, 24 pages
Primary Health Care and Drugs
Global Action Towards Rational Drug Use
Documentation of a conference on Primary Health Care by BUKO Pharma-Kampagne. How is the current situation? What makes implementation so difficult? How can medicines be incluced in the best way?
1991, 168 pages, englisch, ISBN 3-928879-08-1, € 1.00
Information in German
For further information in German and Spanish click here
The Pharma-Brief (in German only) appears at regular intervals
How to order
BUKO Pharma-Kampagne, August-Bebel-Str. 62, D-33602 Bielefeld, Germany
Phone +49-521-60550, Fax +49-521-63789, e-mail: infoATbukopharma.de
5 € will be added for postage and handling charges