It is reported that low- and middle-class countries have more than 80% cases of neurological deaths and health loss. The leading causes of disability are neurological disorders. In low- and middle-income countries, the neurological disorder’s treatment gap (the difference between the number of people with a condition and those receiving appropriate treatment) is >75% and about 50%, respectively. According to some evidence, if we take the example of people in low-income countries with a treatment gap for epilepsy, the percentage would reach 90%, which means almost 9 out of 10 people will not receive treatment.
The latest publication by the WHO, Improving Access to Medicines for Neurological Disorders, gives details of the barriers involved in accessing this medication and what can be done to overcome these challenges.
Barriers involved in procuring neurological medications:
According to a report by the WHO, the intricate and interconnected challenges that impede access to treatment for neurological conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease are:
Increased drug costs, high spending costs, and poor financial health lead to an enhanced financial burden on individuals and their families with neurological disorders.
Decreased public awareness, a lack of proper infrastructure, and the absence of proper healthcare provider training on neurological disorders contribute to decreased access to proper care, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological disorders.
Due to the absence of an essential medicine list for neurological disorders, regulatory obstacles, combine to reduce the acquisition of essential medicines for neurological disorders.
Other factors that pose a challenge are current health disparities, which impact people in low- and middle-income nations, people living in rural regions in poverty, and other vulnerable groups. These factors provide a serious challenge to the realization of universal health coverage.
People with neurological diseases are not able to access medications, even though there are many ways to employ safe, efficacious, and cost-effective medications that can hamper their quality of life.
The impact of neurological disorders can be significantly decreased and quality of life improved if people living with these disorders are provided access to the essential medicines they need. However, most people with neurological disorders struggle to access the treatment they need for their conditions because these medicines do not reach them or are too expensive.Devora Kestel, Director of WHO’s Department of Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use
Action of supporting countries:
The neurological medications and medical advice were already included in the recent update of the national essential medicines list and standard treatment guidelines. Few of the countries have already taken the initiative to prioritize neurological disorders. For example, Ghana is giving much attention to neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
Another example would be the United Republic of Tanzania, where a national coordination committee is developed to provide technical support to policymakers on epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Medications for neurological disorders are now listed in the United Republic of Tanzania’s National Health Insurance Fund package for 2024. In order to take note of the lack of availability of neurological medications, the country’s Medical Stores Department is focusing on how to acquire these medications.
Due to all these efforts, neurological medications can be made easily accessible.
WHO report providing a framework of action:
Actions proposed in this report have clear synergies with the WHO Roadmap for access to medicines, vaccines, and other health products. With the proposed approach for neurological medicines, we have a robust set of actions and a clear way forward to improve access to these essential medicines.Christophe Rerat, Senior Technical Officer in the Medicines and Health Products Division, WHO
The report by WHO gives stakeholders a framework to arrange a multi-level, multi-sectoral action and take note of factors affecting the procurement of essential medicines for neurological disorders. The outlined action focuses on multiple areas like health infrastructure, the health system, which comprises policy and regulatory environments, and education systems. The report also mentions the importance of connecting with individuals with experience and the effectiveness of teamwork at the national and international levels and among stakeholders.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Siddiqua Parveen/MSM)