Accessibility of Medical Care for the Population Under Sanctions: The Experience of Three Countries

The paper examines the impact of economic sanctions on the availability of medical care in three countries that have significant experience of sanctions (Cuba, Iran, Syria). It is shown that economic sanctions can significantly reduce the availability of medical care for the population. The most vulnerable to reduced availability of medical care are children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, as well as those in need of high-tech care. The negative impact of sanctions is most pronounced in countries with a high degree of dependence of the commodity sector on imports; in countries where incomes significantly depend on the export of one or more goods, as well as in geographically isolated countries. The main factors contributing to the availability of medical care are the high level of development of the primary health care sector, as well as the presence of an effective system for monitoring its availability and, in particular, a system for analyzing and forecasting situations with a shortage of essential medicines, components, consumables, etc.