Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/925455

OpenURL Link
Title
What essential medicines for children are on the shelf?
Author/Creator
Robertson, Jane;  Forte, Gilles;  Trapsida, Jean-Marie;  Hill, Suzanne
Institution
The University of Newcastle. Faculty of Health, School of Medicine and Public Health
Description
Objective: To document the inclusion of key medicines for children in national essential medicines lists (EMLs) and standard treatment guidelines, and to assess the availability and cost of these medicines in 14 countries in central Africa. Methods: Surveys were conducted in 12 public and private sector medicine outlets in each country’s capital city. Data were collected on medicine availability on the survey day and on the cost to the patient of the lowest priced medicine in stock. Findings: The proportion of survey medicines in national EMLs ranged from 50% to 90%. In only three countries were more than 50% of such medicines available from central medical stores (range: 15–75%). Availability in nongovernmental organization stores was not consistently better (range: 10–65%) but tended to be higher in teaching hospitals, although the range was similar (15–70%). District hospitals (range: 10–80%) had slightly better availability than teaching hospitals, while primary health care clinics generally had poorer availability (range: 18–48%). Retail or private pharmacies tended to have more survey medicines available (range: 38–62%). There was considerable variability in prices, which tended to be higher in retail pharmacies. Conclusion: The availability of key essential medicines for children was poor. Better understanding of the supply systems in the countries studied and of the pattern of demand for medicines is needed before improvements can be made. Medicines must be available, affordable and acceptable to patients. Substantial progress towards Millennium Development Goals will not occur without a major effort to improve access to medicines for children.
Relation
Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 87, Issue 3, p. 231-237
Relation
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/3/en/index.html
Date
2009
Publisher
World Health Organization
Keyword(s)
Millennium Development Goals;  medicine;  World Health Organization (WHO);  children;  survey
Resource Type
journal article
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/925455
Identifier
ISSN:0042-9686
Reviewed
Reviewed
10 Visitors 13 Hits 0 Downloads
Save/E-mail Citation
Citation Format
E-mail Address
Subject
"Bulletin of the World Health Organization"
 
OR