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Availability, prices and affordability of selected antibiotics and medicines against non-communicable diseases in western Cameroon and northeast DR Congo

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  • Simon Schäfermann
  • Richard Neci
  • Edward Ngah Ndze
  • Fidelis Nyaah
  • Valentin Basolanduma Pondo
  • Lutz Heide

Abstract

Access to safe, effective and affordable medicines of good quality is included into the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Furthermore, WHO has developed a Global Action Plan with the aim to raise access to essential medicines against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to 80%, and to improve their affordability. In order to contribute to the monitoring of progress towards these goals, the present study investigated the availability and affordability of seven antibiotics and six medicines against non-communicable diseases in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the west of the Republic of Cameroon. Data on availability and prices of these medicines were collected in 60 different sites (34 in the DR Congo, 26 in Cameroon), including government health facilities, church health facilities, private pharmacies and informal vendors, as part of a study on medicine quality. The data were analyzed using a standardized procedure developed by WHO and Health Action International (HAI). Average availability of the investigated antibiotics ranged from 62% to 98% in the different types of facilities in both countries, including the informal vendors. Average availability for medicines against NCDs in the different types of facilities showed a higher variation in both countries, ranging from 11% up to 87%. The average availability of medicines against NCDs in government health facilities was only 33% in Cameroon, and as low as 11% in the DR Congo. In contrast, availability of medicines against NCDs in church health facilities in Cameroon was 70%, not far from the 80% availability goal set by WHO. Medicine prices were clearly higher in Cameroon than in the DR Congo, with median price ratios to an international reference price of 5.69 and 2.17, respectively (p

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Schäfermann & Richard Neci & Edward Ngah Ndze & Fidelis Nyaah & Valentin Basolanduma Pondo & Lutz Heide, 2020. "Availability, prices and affordability of selected antibiotics and medicines against non-communicable diseases in western Cameroon and northeast DR Congo," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0227515
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227515
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    References listed on IDEAS

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