[e-drug] Access to children's medicines in Ghana

e-drug
1

E-DRUG: Access to children's medicines in Ghana
-----------------------------------------------

Dear All

The continuous availability of affordable medicines for children is
necessary for countries to reduce infant mortality, in keeping with
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4. In recognition of the importance of
availability of medicines for children to the success of MDG 4, the World
Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA60.20 in 2007, to include essential
children’s medicines in national medicine lists, procurement and
reimbursement schemes.

In January 2011, the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) conducted a
study to determine the availability of essential medicines for children in
church health facilities in Ghana. The EPN study followed up on a 2007 World
Health Organization (WHO) survey of children’s medicines availability in 14
African capitals, which had revealed poor availability of medicines for
children in both public and private facilities.

The objectives of EPN’s study were to determine the availability and pricing
of selected children’s medicines.

This study was the first significant attempt to collect data on the
availability of children’s medicines in health facilities in Ghana. Previous
studies have focused on the availability of medicines in general, or on all
health facilities, with no focus on either children’s medicines or
faith-based health facilities. A similar study was done by EPN in Kenya,
Uganda and Chad.

Among the results of the study are that Zinc sulphate, chlorpheniramine
syrup and vitamin A had the lowest availabilities and over 40% of the
facilities surveyed were not stocking zinc sulphate dispersible tablets,
vitamin A capsules and chlorpheniramine syrup at all. Unavailability of
these crucial medicines could largely compromise the quality of healthcare
offered to children.

Download the research paper from
http://www.epnetwork.org/childrens-medicines

Elisabeth Goffin
Communications Officer

EPN is now on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EPN.epnetwork

Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network
Gatundu Villas No.1, Gatundu road, Kileleshwa
P. O. Box 749 - 00606 Sarit Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 4343393 | 724 301755 | 572 522702
Skype: epnetwork1
www.epnetwork.org
http://www.facebook.com/EPN.epnetwork

Just and compassionate quality pharmaceutical services for all
Services pharmaceutiques de qualité, équitables et avec compassion pour tous