ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Western Pacific2025
Exploring access to essential medicines in the South Pacific: insights from a multi-country cross-sectional study.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Availability, prices, and affordability of essential medicines for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a multi-regional survey using the WHO/HAI methodology in Pakistan.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Implementation Gaps in Public Outpatient Drug Programs: A Survey of Physicians in Urban Primary Care in Kazakhstan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Knee-Deep in Bias: When the Low-Probability Diagnosis of Double-Expressor Lymphoma Wins.Cureus · 2026Article
- Global burden of MDR-TB and XDR-TB: trends, inequities, and future implications for public health planning.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Economic impact of patients with medical evacuation in remote islands: a case study in Matsu Islands.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Access to essential medicines is imperative for delivering effective healthcare, yet a significant proportion of the global population continues to face barriers in obtaining them. The South Pacific Region (SPR) faces unique medicine access challenges due to geographic remoteness, economic limitations, and, strained healthcare infrastructure. To gain further insight, this study aimed to assess the availability, pricing, and, affordability of essential medicines stratified by World Bank income group. Methods: The WHO and Health Action International standardised methodology was employed in the public and private sectors of New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Vanuatu, and, the Solomon Islands between February 1st 2023 and October 1st 2023. We measured availability, median price ratio (MPR), and affordability. Data were analysed by World Bank income group. Findings: Data were collected from 19 public-sector hospitals and 24 private-sector pharmacies. Lower-middle income countries (LMICs) had the lowest mean availability for both public and private sectors, while upper-middle and high-income countries (HICs) demonstrated moderate to high availability. The mean availability of lowest-priced generics (LPG) in LMICs was 59.1% in the public sector and 57.4% in the private sector, compared to 87.2% and 72.5% respectively in HICs. MPRs indicated high medicine prices across all categories. Affordability analysis revealed that medicines were unaffordable in LMICs yet affordable in UMICs and HICs. Interpretation: LMICs within the South Pacific display low availability and poor affordability of essential medicines. Urgent targeted policy reform and strategic initiatives are required to ensure effective and equitable healthcare within this region. Funding: This research was supported by l'Agence Française de Développement, Le Fonds Pacifique [CZZ3165ORC].
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