Essential Medicines Availability And Affordability A Case Study Of The Top Ten Registered Diseases In Builsa District Of Ghana

Abstract The survey was a cross sectional descriptive study that employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches following the standardized World Health Organization and Health Action International WHO HAI methodology WHO and HAI 2008a. Price and availability data for 29 medicines were collected from 11 service delivery facilities and 4 private licensed chemical sellers stores. Medicine prices were compared with international reference prices IRPs to obtain a median price ratio. The daily wage of the lowest paid unskilled government worker was used to gauge the affordability of medicines. The mean availability of 29 essential medicines was 64.1 SD 24.1 for all the medicines outlets. The mean availability of 20 essential medicines for the Clinic and Health Centre levels was 85.0 SD 17 higher than the private Licensed Chemical Sellers 71.3 SD 35.6. The mean availability of 10 essential medicines for Community Health Services levels was 62.5 SD 41.1 and lower than the private Licensed Chemical Sellers 77.5 SD 32.2. ArtesunateAmodiaquine used as first line for malaria treatment was found in 80 of medicine outlets. The prices of medicines to patients were high at the public sector facilities with a comparative Median Price Ratio MPR of 1.84 times international reference prices while that of the private sector was 2.05 times. The average treatment for adult disease conditions was not affordable at 1.67 days wage but 0.78 days wage for a childs disease condition. The availability of essential medicines for the treatment of the top ten diseases of 2009 in the Builsa district is quite acceptable. The average cost of treatment for the common diseases was unaffordable with the median price ratio of medicines above the acceptable range of 1.5 for public facilities.