Medicine availability and affordability for paediatric cancers, China
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World Health Organization
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This study assesses the availability and affordability of essential anticancer medicines for children in China using 2021 drug utilization data from 55 tertiary children’s hospitals across seven geographical regions. The analysis covered all 33 anticancer medicines included in the 2021 WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children and evaluated access by examining medicine availability in hospitals and treatment affordability relative to regional disposable income. The study was undertaken in the context of increasing childhood cancer incidence, persistent disparities in survival outcomes and the importance of equitable access to effective pharmacotherapy for improving cancer care.
The findings indicate that access to essential paediatric anticancer medicines remains suboptimal and unevenly distributed across China. Although all medicines studied had received regulatory approval, many were available in fewer than half of surveyed hospitals, and several products imposed substantial financial burdens on families. Medicines approved for paediatric indications showed higher availability than those without such approval, while access to targeted therapies was generally lower than to cytotoxic medicines. Regional differences in availability and affordability were associated with variations in economic development and health-care resources. The study highlights the need for measures to address medicine shortages, strengthen access to essential paediatric cancer treatments and reduce financial barriers to care.
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31B