Inequalities in Access to Essential Drugs: A Global Issue - Essay Sample

Introduction

Inequalities and disparities in healthcare go beyond particular healthcare organizations and surpass regional, state, or continental boundaries. Differences in socioeconomic status in individuals have always been pointed at, as a factor that determines the ability of such an individual to access healthcare services. The same applies to the socioeconomic status of countries. The article thus explores the gap that exists in the access of essential drugs between developed and developing countries, the impacts this inequality has and strategies that could be applied to eliminate or minimize this gap.

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While there have been tremendous achievements regarding the creation, invention, and distribution of pharmaceuticals and drugs around the world, capitalism has prevailed. The 20th century saw the advent of multinational pharmaceutical industries that had the efficacy to produce numerous drugs for different diseases and conditions through research and development (Reich, 2000). However, this was only good news for developed countries, as most of the research conducted aimed at the production of drugs that related to the diseases within these countries. This was primarily due to the purchasing power of these countries, and this thus left the developing countries unattended to. According to the world health organization, about one-third of the world's population lack access to essential drugs, and the scenario worsens for developing countries. The disparities are boldly spelled out. Between 1996 and 1997, for instance, the availability of ARVs had caused a decrease in mortality by 48% in the United States, Australia, and Western Europe while in many developing countries, which accounted for 95% of all HIV incidences there was limited or no access on the drugs (Reich, 2000). This trend has been a result of a compound of reasons, among them the cost barriers on the drugs as well as the barriers erected by the intellectual property rights more so regarding off-patent drugs.

The author has presented several strategies and mechanisms that could be put in place to eradicate this gap and thus ensure equity in the access of drugs and pharmaceuticals all over the world. Among the strategies proposed includes the use of internal markets by the various states to create efficiency in the procurement of essential drugs. The management of pharmaceuticals once procured is also crucial as it maximizes on the utility of the drugs. Creating reliable mechanisms for the acquisition of supplies as well as the rationing of medicines by consumers and health workers is also crucial (Reich, 2000). Mechanisms that can be manipulated include the market and legal mandates. Donations also offer solutions in terms of creating a chain of supply of drugs for developing countries.

Healthcare is an essential human need. It is astonishing that certain regions of the world, (a third of its population) do not have the luck to access drugs and pharmaceuticals when they need them. It is even more heartbreaking to know that it is not as a result of the inability to produce the drugs, but rather a matter of unwillingness for pharmaceutical industries to invest in the research and development of essential drugs for developing countries due to the money factor. Decades after the discovery of HIV, it would be unbelievable to claim that 95% of the world's most needy nations of the ARVs would not access while almost half of the deaths in the developed countries had been mitigated. The article presents a new perspective on the global drug gap by exploring not only the direct financial cost of the drugs but also the cost of research and the barriers created by intellectual property rights. The use of diagrams and photographs complements the complex statistical data presented and thus adds to the effectiveness of the article.

Reference

Reich M. R. (2000). The global drug gap. Science, 287. Pp. 1979-1981. Retrieved from www.sciencemag.org