TY - JOUR
T1 - Availability, cost and affordability of essential medicines for chronic respiratory diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study
AU - Stolbrink, Marie
AU - Ozoh, Obianuju B.
AU - Halpin, David M.G.
AU - Nightingale, Becky
AU - Meghji, Jamilah
AU - Plum, Catherine
AU - Allwood, Brian William
AU - Jayasooriya, Shamanthi
AU - Mortimer, Kevin
PY - 2024/5/17
Y1 - 2024/5/17
N2 - Contemporary data on the availability, cost and affordability of essential medicines for chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are missing, despite most people with CRDs living in LMICs. Cross-sectional data for seven CRD medicines in pharmacies, healthcare facilities and central medicine stores were collected from 60 LMICs in 2022–2023. Medicines for symptomatic relief were widely available and affordable, while preventative treatments varied widely in cost, were less available and largely unaffordable. There is an urgent need to address these issues if the Sustainable Development Goal 3 is to be achieved for people with asthma by 2030.
AB - Contemporary data on the availability, cost and affordability of essential medicines for chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are missing, despite most people with CRDs living in LMICs. Cross-sectional data for seven CRD medicines in pharmacies, healthcare facilities and central medicine stores were collected from 60 LMICs in 2022–2023. Medicines for symptomatic relief were widely available and affordable, while preventative treatments varied widely in cost, were less available and largely unaffordable. There is an urgent need to address these issues if the Sustainable Development Goal 3 is to be achieved for people with asthma by 2030.
U2 - 10.1136/thorax-2023-221349
DO - 10.1136/thorax-2023-221349
M3 - Article
SN - 0040-6376
VL - 79
SP - 676
EP - 679
JO - Thorax
JF - Thorax
IS - 7
ER -
