Challenges to Equitable Access To Medication in Developing and Developed Countries
According to the World Health Organization, medicine is defined as “essential for the prevention and treatment of diseases, and thus also for the protection of public health.” Many people suffer from a lack of adequate medicinal resources across the world. Countries such as: Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all suffer from a lack of universal healthcare. Problems such as poverty, a lack of education, discrimination, and insufficient resources are all causes of the systemic conflict of insufficient healthcare in these places and more.
The WHO, also known as the World Health Organization, was established in 1948 in order to ensure the global health of citizens across the world. In order to address the challenge of providing equitable medicinal resources to countries, many measures were put into place. Actions such as providing financial support, building schoolhouses, and creating safe, sterile environments to carry out medical practices are all important steps to achieving a progressive medical facility. Kenya has faced struggles in the past with providing accessible healthcare to its citizens. A large selection of its population experience illnesses such as HIV and malaria. Moreover, around 17% of its population is in severe poverty, unable to afford medication.
As one of the most developed states in Africa, Kenya firmly believes in the support and progress of universal healthcare. To address the problem of poverty and illness, Kenya has worked diligently with multiple governments in and out of the country to create reforms that combat the medical inaccessibility in its country. One of its most notable plans is the UHC, Universal Health Coverage, which seeks to eliminate the problem of inaccessibility and financial issues in the medical system. Furthermore, the PEPFAR program in Kenya, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, is a program aimed to contain and support citizens who suffer from AIDS. By creating labs designed to research HIV and HIV prevention, the government is able to make steps to improve the lives of those who are affected by HIV whilst also spreading knowledge on the spread and containment of it.