scholarly journals Barriers to access to hepatitis C treatment

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 308-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hava Yilmaz ◽  
Esmeray Mutlu Yilmaz ◽  
Hakan Leblebicioglu
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Hepatitis C Treatment ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Only 1%–30% of patients in need of treatment may get it. In recent years, the availability of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) has been an important advancement in treating HCV infection. However, due to cost, it is not possible to receive these drugs in many countries where infection is endemic. In these low- and middle-income countries, the main barriers to controlling HCV infection are lack of knowledge about the infection, constraints on diagnostic testing and treatment, and lack of experts. Both national and international support are essential to overcoming these barriers. In low- and middle-income countries, interferon and ribavirin-based therapies still are the first choices due to their availability and to government payment support. In addition, in developed countries, efforts to provide lower-cost DAA drugs continue. Pharmaceutical companies continue to research manufacture of bio-equivalent drugs to reduce treatment costs. Considering the fake drug market, all developments need to be monitored closely by the institutions involved. This review focuses on barriers to hepatitis C treatment and ways to overcome those barriers.

scholarly journals Potential market size and impact of hepatitis C treatment in low‐ and middle‐income countries

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 522-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Woode ◽  
M. Abu‐Zaineh ◽  
J. Perriëns ◽  
F. Renaud ◽  
S. Wiktor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Market Size ◽  
Hepatitis C Treatment ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Potential Market ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Improving access to the treatment of hepatitis C in low- and middle-income countries: evaluation of a patient assistance programme

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salamat Ali ◽  
Tofeeq Ur-Rehman ◽  
Mashhood Ali ◽  
Sayeed Haque ◽  
Faisal Rasheed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Average Cost ◽  
Cost Effectiveness Ratio ◽  
Hepatitis C Treatment ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Assistance Programme ◽  
Patient Assistance ◽  
Low And Middle Income

AbstractBackground Modern antiviral treatments have high cure rates against the hepatitis C virus however, the high cost associated with branded medicines and diagnostic tests, have resulted in poor access for many low-income patients residing in low-and-middle-income countries. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the role of a patient assistance programme and generic medicines in improving access to treatment of low-income hepatitis C patients in a low-and-middle-income country. Setting A major teaching public hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. Methods Hepatitis C patients who presented and enrolled for the patient assistance programme during 12 months (1st July 2015 and 30th June 2016) were included. Demography, prescription characteristics, the total costs of Hepatitis C treatment, medicine cost supported by the programme, out-of-pocket cost borne by the patient and average cost effectiveness ratio per sustained virologic response were calculated and compared for different generic and branded regimens. Main outcome measure cost contribution of patient assistance programme. Results A total of 349 patients initiated the treatment through the programme and of those 334 (95.7%) completed the prescribed treatment. There were 294 (88.02%) patients who achieved sustained virologic response. Patient assistance programme contributed medicines cost averaging 60.28–86.26% of the total cost of treatment ($1634.6) per patient. The mean (SE) cost per patient for generic option (Sofosbuvir/Ribavirin) was the lowest [$658.36 (22.3) per patient, average cost effectiveness ratio = $720.1/SVR] than branded option (Sovaldi/Ribavirin) [$2218.66 (37.6) per patient, average cost effectiveness ratio = $2361.8/SVR] of the three available treatment regimens. From patients’ perspectives, the mean (SE) out-of-pocket cost was $296.9 (6.7) which primarily included diagnostic cost (69.9%) of the total cost. Conclusions Patient assistance programme, combined with generic brands of newer hepatitis C treatment offered a significant reduction in cost and widens access to hepatitis C treatment in low-and middle-income countries. However, substantial out-of-pocket costs of the treatment presents an important barrier for service access. There is a scope to widen such financial assistance programme to offer other costs attributed to patients, specifically for diagnosis, to widen service use in low-and-middle-income countries.

Opportunities and Challenges for Implementing Neurotrauma Prevention Program: A Practical Perspective for Developing Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (02/03) ◽  
pp. 077-081
Author(s):  
Amrita Ghosh ◽  
Ranabir Pal ◽  
Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar ◽  
Huber Said Padilla-Zambrano ◽  
Harsh Deora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Literature Research ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Literature Searches ◽  
Low And Middle Income

AbstractNeurotrauma is an underestimated and less understood public health issue in low- and middle-income countries for which we need system-based approach to prevention plans. This study was initiated to find rationale of effective plan with projectile vision of neurotrauma prevention. In search of innovative ideas of neurotrauma prevention evidence was explored from the published literature research on traumatic brain injury. Evidence-based global guidelines on recommended content and scheduling on prevention of neurotrauma literature searches data were also synthesized and summarized from research in developed countries. Our study noted that a considerable number of victims of neurotrauma with death and disabilities put mammoth costs to the already compromised health systems of the low- and middle-income countries. We need systems-based four-pronged approach incorporating neurotrauma registry, neurotrauma surveillance, translational research programs, and current approved process for development of clinical guidelines for prevention.

LBP-37-Evaluation of Hepatitis C Virus Rapid Diagnostic Test in HCV mono- and HCV/HIV co-infected patients from Low and Middle Income Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. e159-e160
Author(s):  
Beatrice Vetter ◽  
Elena Ivanova Reipold ◽  
Rosemary Audu ◽  
Maia Alkhazashvili ◽  
Anja De Weggheleire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Diagnostic Test ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Global Breast Cancer: The Lessons to Bring Home

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia C. Formenti ◽  
Alan A. Arslan ◽  
Susan M. Love
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Common Cancer ◽  
The Us ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women globally. This paper discusses the current progress in breast cancer in Western countries and focuses on important differences of this disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMCs). It introduces several arguments for applying caution before globalizing some of the US-adopted practices in the screening and management of the disease. Finally, it suggests that studies of breast cancer in LMCs might offer important insights for a more effective management of the problem both in developing as well as developed countries.

scholarly journals The direct-medical costs associated with interferon-based treatment for Hepatitis C in Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Huyen Anh Nguyen ◽  
Graham S. Cooke ◽  
Jeremy N. Day ◽  
Barnaby Flower ◽  
Le Thanh Phuong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Treatment Regimen ◽  
Medical Costs ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Direct Medical Costs ◽  
Ifn Treatment

Background: Injectable interferon-based therapies have been used to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection since 1991. International guidelines have now moved away from interferon-based therapy towards direct-acting antiviral (DAA) tablet regimens, because of their superior efficacy, excellent side-effect profiles, and ease of administration. Initially DAA drugs were prohibitively expensive for most healthcare systems. Access is now improving through the procurement of low-cost, generic DAAs acquired through voluntary licenses. However, HCV treatment costs vary widely, and many countries are struggling with DAA treatment scale-up. This is not helped by the limited cost data and economic evaluations from low- and middle-income countries to support HCV policy decisions. We conducted a detailed analysis of the costs of treating chronic HCV infection with interferon-based therapy in Vietnam. Understanding these costs is important for performing necessary economic evaluations of novel treatment strategies. Methods: We conducted an analysis of the direct medical costs of treating HCV infection with interferon alpha (IFN) and pegylated-interferon alpha (Peg-IFN), in combination with ribavirin, from the health sector perspective at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2017. Results: The total cost of the IFN treatment regimen was estimated to range between US$1,120 and US$1,962. The total cost of the Peg-IFN treatment regimen was between US$2,156 and US$5,887. Drug expenses were the biggest contributor to the total treatment cost (54-89%) and were much higher for the Peg-IFN regimen. Conclusions: We found that treating HCV with IFN or Peg-IFN resulted in significant direct medical costs. Of concern, we found that all patients incurred substantial out-of-pocket costs, including those receiving the maximum level of support from the national health insurance programme. This cost data highlights the potential savings and importance of increased access to generic DAAs in low- and middle-income countries and will be useful within future economic evaluations.

Medical Tourism's Impact on Health Care Equity and Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Making the Case for Regulation

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 286-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.Y. Brandon Chen ◽  
Colleen M. Flood
Keyword(s):  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Medical Travel ◽  
Health Care Equity ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Novel Concept ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Travelling internationally to acquire medical treatments otherwise unavailable or inaccessible in one’s home country is not a novel concept. Conventionally, such medical travel largely entailed patients from developed countries or wealthy patients from the developing world seeking care in Western facilities like the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. and myriad private clinics along Harley Street in London, England. What is different about the topical phenomenon known as “medical tourism” is the growing trend of health services export in the opposite direction. The number of patients travelling from the developed world to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for treatments has ballooned in recent years, primarily driven by difficulties with accessing affordable care at home. According to a liberal estimate by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, the number of Americans travelling abroad for care rose from 750,000 in 2007 to 1.6 million in 2012. On the flip side, Thailand reportedly treated a total of 1.3 million foreign nationals in 2007, which represented a 16% leap from 2001.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document