In the past few years the nation has seen a surge in new health infrastructure across the country (and)...funding to the Sector has substantially improved in the past 4 years... Even (well known NGO), a key player in the health sector around the world acknowledges on it's website that (the country) has made 'a genuine effort to improve healthcare in recent years'.
Yet records of medicine stockouts are startling.
A study on medicine prices, availabilty and affordability in (the country) conducted by the Health Equity Network (HEN) established that it is still difficult for rural communities to access free medicines and services from public clinics.
The study discovered that 46% of (the country's) rural population did not have formal health services within a 5-km radius.
Further, 20% of government clinics did not have the first line treatment of malaria, one of the killer diseases in (the country) alongside tuberculosis and HIV/Aids.
Children under five years old are the most at risk to malaria attacks. It is said that on average, they suffer up to ten episodes of malaria every year. According to HEN, in the event of the drugs not being available in public hospitals, it would take 50 days salary for most rural families to be able to buy the right drugs.
The Government's 'Essential Health Package' contains a list of about 150 types of essential medicines to treat over 11 health conditions. The study established that urban hospitals could have up to 80% of the stocks, but the numbers dwindled further when one went to the country side. Only 20% of them were available in most rural hospitals.
Medicines for diarrhoea and other killer diseases were not available in a third of Government clinics.
Even if (the country) has done well in tackling HIV/Aids generally, nearly half of the accredited health facilities did not have stocks of drugs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Thirty seven newborn babies reportedly die every day in (the country). But basic medicines to treat anaemia in expectant mothers were found in less than 20% of public clinics.
It is a catalohue of 'withouts' compounded by limited well-qualified staff to administer essential services.
The article ends with:
There are Millenium Development Goals and (country) Growth and Development Strategy targets to meet. There are lives to save. There is a country to heal. There has to be medicine, for all.
