Access to Essential Medicines and Technologies for NCDs

Chair:
Cécile Macé - International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Working Group Members:
David Beran
Douglas L. Keene
Jonathan Liberman
Kathryn Taubert
Larry C. Deeb
Rajesh Balkrishnan
Susan Henshall

Hundreds of millions with NCDs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are dying prematurely or suffering life threatening complications because they cannot access affordable and essential NCD medicines and technologies. Many of these lifesaving medicines are proven to work and cost just cents to produce. We have the medicines and technologies to save lives, but international funding is not available in LMICs. Funding for NCD medicines and technologies is critical for both treatment and prevention. Simple medicines given early can prevent or delay the onset of many NCDs and prevent secondary complications that cost lives, throw families into destitution and impose huge costs on vulnerable health systems.

The good news is that effective policies and strategies exist to promote equitable access, including rational selection, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, and policies to promote generic products, building capacity amongst health workers and better regulation to assure quality of NCD medicines and services.

Written by the NCD Alliance Essential Medicines and Technologies for NCDs working group, this 4-page briefing also provides in-depth key recommendations at both the national and global level. To access the paper and other valuable resources, please click on the links below.

Access to Essential Medicines and Technologies for NCDs

Access to Essential Medicines and Technologies for NCDs (fully referenced)

Diabetes
Zip folder of various resources

Chronic Respiratory Diseases
Zip folder of various resources

Cancer
Zip folder of various resources

Cardiovascular Disease
Zip folder of various resources

General Resources

WHO Access to NCDs Medicines

LIVESTRONG Access to Medicines Brief

Financing Strategies to Improve Access to Medicines for NCDs