Health care quality challenges in low- and middle-income countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usman Iqbal ◽  
Mihajlo Rabrenovic ◽  
Yu-Chuan (Jack) Li
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Quality ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Breast Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Emerging and Challenging Epidemic

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arafat Tfayli ◽  
Sally Temraz ◽  
Rachel Abou Mrad ◽  
Ali Shamseddine
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Breast cancer is a major health care problem that affects more than one million women yearly. While it is traditionally thought of as a disease of the industrialized world, around 45% of breast cancer cases and 55% of breast cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries. Managing breast cancer in low income countries poses a different set of challenges including access to screening, stage at presentation, adequacy of management and availability of therapeutic interventions. In this paper, we will review the challenges faced in the management of breast cancer in low and middle income countries.

scholarly journals An International Analysis of Dialysis Services Reimbursement

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arjan van der Tol ◽  
Norbert Lameire ◽  
Rachael L. Morton ◽  
Wim Van Biesen ◽  
Raymond Vanholder
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Peritoneal Dialysis ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Kidney Replacement Therapy ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Background and objectivesThe prevalence of patients with ESKD who receive extracorporeal kidney replacement therapy is rising worldwide. We compared government reimbursement for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis worldwide, assessed the effect on the government health care budget, and discussed strategies to reduce the cost of kidney replacement therapy.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsCross-sectional global survey of nephrologists in 90 countries to assess reimbursement for dialysis, number of patients receiving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, and measures to prevent development or progression of CKD, conducted online July to December of 2016.ResultsOf the 90 survey respondents, governments from 81 countries (90%) provided reimbursement for maintenance dialysis. The prevalence of patients per million population being treated with long-term dialysis in low- and middle-income countries increased linearly with Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP per capita), but was substantially lower in these countries compared with high-income countries where we did not observe an higher prevalence with higher GDP per capita. The absolute expenditure for dialysis by national governments showed a positive association with GDP per capita, but the percent of total health care budget spent on dialysis showed a negative association. The percentage of patients on peritoneal dialysis was low, even in countries where peritoneal dialysis is better reimbursed than hemodialysis. The so-called peritoneal dialysis–first policy without financial incentive seems to be effective in increasing the utilization of peritoneal dialysis. Few countries actively provide CKD prevention.ConclusionsIn low- and middle-income countries, reimbursement of dialysis is insufficient to treat all patients with ESKD and has a disproportionately high effect on public health expenditure. Current reimbursement policies favor conventional in-center hemodialysis.

Models of community-based primary care for epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gagandeep Singh ◽  
Meenakshi Sharma ◽  
Anand Krishnan ◽  
Tarun Dua ◽  
Francesco d'Aniello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Community Awareness ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Low And Middle Income

ObjectiveTo review systematically community-based primary care interventions for epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries to rationalize approaches and outcome measures in relation to epilepsy care in these countries.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Global Index Medicus, CINAHL, and Web of Science was undertaken to identify trials and implementation of provision of antiseizure medications, adherence reinforcement, and/or health care provider or community education in community-based samples of epilepsy. Data on populations addressed, interventions, and outcomes were extracted from eligible articles.ResultsThe 24 reports identified comprise mostly care programs addressing active convulsive epilepsy. Phenobarbital has been used most frequently, although other conventional antiseizure medications (ASMs) have also been used, but none of the newer. Tolerability rates in these studies are high, but overall attrition is considerable. Other approaches include updating primary health care providers, reinforcing treatment adherence in clinics, and raising community awareness. In these programs, the coverage of existing treatment gap in the community, epilepsy-related mortality, and comorbidity burden are only fleetingly addressed. None, however, explicitly describe sustainability plans.ConclusionsCost-free provision, mostly of phenobarbital, has resulted in short-term seizure freedom in roughly half of the people with epilepsy in low- and middle-income countries. Future programs should include a range of ASMs. These should cover apart from seizure control and treatment adherence, primary health care provider education, community awareness, and referral protocols for specialist care. Programs should incorporate impact assessment at the local level. Sustainability in the long term as much as resilience and scalability should be addressed in future initiatives.

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