Access to Anti-Malarials in Burundi
Author Information
Author(s): Amuasi John H, Diap Graciela, Blay-Nguah Samuel, Boakye Isaac, Karikari Patrick E, Dismas Baza, Karenzo Jeanne, Nsabiyumva Lievin, Louie Karly S, Kiechel Jean-René
Hypothesis
How accessible are national policy recommended anti-malarials in Burundi?
Conclusion
AS-AQ was widely available and affordable in the public and NGO markets of hard-to-reach post-conflict communities in Burundi.
Supporting Evidence
- AS-AQ was available in 87.5% of public outlets surveyed.
- Quinine was the most common anti-malarial found in all outlet types.
- The median price of a course of AS-AQ was US$0.16 in public and NGO markets.
- Non-policy recommended anti-malarials were mainly found in the private outlets (38.9%).
- AS-AQ was affordable at 0.4 of a day's wage in the public and NGO sectors.
Takeaway
This study looked at how easy it is for people in Burundi to get important malaria medicines. It found that many places have the right medicine, but it's often more expensive in private shops.
Methodology
A cross-sectional survey of 70 medicine outlets was conducted in three regions of Burundi to evaluate availability, pricing, and affordability of anti-malarials.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from directly questioning medicine dispensers about their knowledge and practice.
Limitations
The study did not evaluate factors determining the price of anti-malarials and lacked comparator drugs, making it difficult to understand price variations.
Participant Demographics
The study included various medicine outlets across public, private, and NGO sectors in three regions of Burundi.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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