Medicines supply in Africa

Should improve through regional collaborations and accredited drug shops L ack of access to medicines each year contributes to millions of deaths and untold suffering in Africa. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria—all treatable with existing medicines—kill an estimated 6 million people every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.1 The burden falls mainly on the poor, women, and especially children.2 Over the past three decades, African governments have worked to provide medicines to populations with growing health needs. During that period the World Health Organization has advocated increasing access to medicines3–5; the World Bank has pushed for reforms in the health sector; and Unicef has launched the 1987 Bamako Initiative, meant to improve communities' access to pharmaceuticals. Despite these efforts, WHO estimates that roughly 270 million people in Africa—nearly half the population—lack regular access to even the most essential medicines.6 Poverty, diverse geography, and social upheaval all contribute to …