Improving Access to Essential Medicines for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Workshop

Workshop

January 13 - 14, 2014

Past

Materials

About

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the largest treatment gaps for mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders in the world. In 2011 the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health initiative identified priorities that will make a significant impact on the lives of people living with MNS disorders. The reduction of cost and improvement of the supply of effective medications was highlighted as one of the top five challenges. Critical to the success of any effort to reduce the treatment gap is a demonstration that ignoring MNS disorders is not only devastating for overall population health but that it also undermines efforts to prevent and treat other causes of disease burden. Efforts in this area should not try to complete for resources used to combat infectious diseases, but should, instead, try to leverage those ongoing activities with initiatives targeted to MNS disorders. For low- and middle-income countries improving access to essential medicines can be a tremendous challenge and a critical barrier to scaling-up care for MNS disorders. Given the importance of access to essential medicines this workshop convened key stakeholders to discuss opportunities for achieving long-term affordable access of essential medicines for MNS disorders.

Meeting Objectives:

Identify critical barriers that impact the procurement of essential medicines for MNS disorders.
Examine successful activities that increase access to essential medicines both within SSA and in other developing countries.
- Explore challenges and opportunities for improving access to essential medicines in four critical areas: demand/burden of disease, supply chains, selection, financing and pricing.
- Identify critical components of these models that might be features in SSA programs focused on MNS disorders.
Consider the role of governments, non-governmental organizations, and private groups in procurement of essential medicines for MNS disorders.
- Examine current funding and payment practices at each level.
- Explore the impact of prescription practices on determining priority setting for acquiring essential medicines.
Identify the key components of a distribution framework that may serve as a demonstration project focused on increasing access for three essential medicines.

Contact

Contact us

(202) 334-3265
neuroforum@nas.edu

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Improving Access to Essential Medicines for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Workshop

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Improving Access to Essential Medicines for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Workshop