Dataset Information

Availability of equipment and medications for non-communicable diseases and injuries at public first-referral level hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis of service provision assessments in eight low-income countries.

ABSTRACT: Context and objectives: Non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) comprise a large share of mortality and morbidity in low-income countries (LICs), many of which occur earlier in life and with greater severity than in higher income settings. Our objective was to assess availability of essential equipment and medications required for a broad range of acute and chronic NCDI conditions.

Design: Secondary analysis of existing cross-sectional survey data.

Setting: We used data from Service Provision Assessment surveys in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Nepal, Senegal and Tanzania, focusing on public first-referral level hospitals in each country.

Outcome measures: We defined sets of equipment and medications required for diagnosis and management of four acute and nine chronic NCDI conditions and determined availability of these items at the health facilities.

Results: Overall, 797 hospitals were included. Medication and equipment availability was highest for acute epilepsy (country estimates ranging from 40% to 95%) and stage 1-2 hypertension (28%-83%). Availability was low for type 1 diabetes (1%-70%), type 2 diabetes (3%-57%), asthma (0%-7%) and acute presentations of diabetes (0%-26%) and asthma (0%-4%). Few hospitals had equipment or medications for heart failure (0%-32%), rheumatic heart disease (0%-23%), hypertensive emergencies (0%-64%) or acute minor surgical conditions (0%-5%). Data for chronic pain were limited to only two countries. Availability of essential medications and equipment was lower than previous facility-reported service availability.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate low availability of essential equipment and medications for diverse NCDIs at first-referral level hospitals in eight LICs. There is a need for decentralisation and integration of NCDI services in existing care platforms and improved assessment and monitoring to fully achieve universal health coverage.

SUBMITTER: Gupta N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7549470 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Availability of equipment and medications for non-communicable diseases and injuries at public first-referral level hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis of service provision assessments in eight low-income countries.

Gupta Neil N Coates Matthew M MM Bekele Abebe A Dupuy Roodney R Fénelon Darius Leopold DL Gage Anna D AD Getachew Theodros T Karmacharya Biraj Man BM Kwan Gene F GF Lulebo Aimée M AM Masiye Jones K JK Mayige Mary Theodory MT Ndour Mbaye Maïmouna M Mridha Malay Kanti MK Park Paul H PH Dagnaw Wubaye Walelgne WW Wroe Emily B EB Bukhman Gene G

BMJ open 20201010 10

<h4>Context and objectives</h4>Non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) comprise a large share of mortality and morbidity in low-income countries (LICs), many of which occur earlier in life and with greater severity than in higher income settings. Our objective was to assess availability of essential equipment and medications required for a broad range of acute and chronic NCDI conditions.<h4>Design</h4>Secondary analysis of existing cross-sectional survey data.<h4>Setting</h4>We used data ...[more]

PMID: 33040014

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Project description:ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine the availability and prices of medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in health facilities and private for-profit drug outlets in Kenya.DesignCross-sectional study.MethodsAll public and non-profit health facilities in eight counties (Embu, Kakamega, Kwale, Makueni, Narok, Nyeri, Samburu and West Pokot) that purchased medicines from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies, a major wholesaler, were surveyed in September 2016. For each health facility, one nearby private for-profit drug outlet was also surveyed. Data on availability and price were analysed for 24 NCD and 8 acute medicine formulations. Availability was analysed separately for medicines in the national Essential Medicines List (EML) and those in the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs). Median price ratios were estimated using the International Medical Products Price Guide as a reference.Results59 public and 78 non-profit facilities and 135 drug outlets were surveyed. Availability of NCD medicines was highest in private for-profit drug outlets (61.7% and 29.3% for medicines on the EML and STGs, respectively). Availability of STG medicines increased with increasing level of care of facilities: 16.1% at dispensaries to 31.7% at secondary referral facilities. The mean proportion of availability for NCD medicines listed in the STGs (0.25) was significantly lower than for acute medicines (0.61), p<0.0001. The proportion of public facilities giving medicines for free (0.47) was significantly higher than the proportion of private non-profit facilities giving medicines for free (0.09) (p<0.0001). The mean price ratio of NCD medicines was significantly higher than for acute medicines in non-profit facilities (4.1 vs 2.0, respectively; p=0.0076), and in private for-profit drug outlets (3.5 vs 1.7; p=0.0013).ConclusionPatients with NCDs in Kenya appear to have limited access to medicines. Increasing access should be a focus of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.

Project description:BackgroundEthiopia has experienced great improvements in life expectancy (LE) at birth over the last three decades. Despite consistent increases in LE for both males and females in Ethiopia, the country has simultaneously witnessed an increasing discrepancy in LE between males and females.MethodsThis study used Pollard's actuarial method of decomposing LE to compare age- and cause- specific contributions to changes in sex differences in LE between 1995 and 2015 in Ethiopia.ResultsLife expectancy at birth in Ethiopia increased for both males and females from 48.28 years and 50.12 years in 1995 to 65.59 years and 69.11 years in 2015, respectively. However, the sex differences in LE at birth also increased from 1.85 years in 1995 to 3.51 years in 2015. Decomposition analysis shows that the higher male mortality was consistently due to injuries and respiratory infections, which contributed to 1.57 out of 1.85 years in 1995 and 1.62 out of 3.51 years in 2015 of the sex differences in LE. Increased male mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) also contributed to the increased difference in LE between males and females over the period, accounting for 0.21 out of 1.85 years and 1.05 out of 3.51 years in 1995 and 2015, respectively.ConclusionsWhile injuries and respiratory infections causing male mortality were the most consistent causes of the sex differences in LE in Ethiopia, morality from NCDs is the main cause of the recent increasing differences in LE between males and females. However, unlike the higher exposure of males to death from injuries due to road traffic injuries or interpersonal violence, to what extent sex differences are caused by the higher male mortality compared to female mortality from respiratory infection diseases is unclear. Similarly, despite Ethiopia's weak social security system, an explanation for the increased sex differences after the age of 40 years due to either longer female LE or reduced male LE should be further investigated.

Dataset Information

Availability of equipment and medications for non-communicable diseases and injuries at public first-referral level hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis of service provision assessments in eight low-income countries.

Publications

Availability of equipment and medications for non-communicable diseases and injuries at public first-referral level hospitals: a cross-sectional analysis of service provision assessments in eight low-income countries.

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