Thread by @DisabilityIndia

🪡 India's NLEM is out. "Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of a population. They are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and safety and comparative cost-effectiveness" says @WHO .

But where do disabled people and those living with chronic medical conditions fit in? There's no acknowledgement of the priority of life-saving and life-sustaining pharma needs of 15% of the population in the Essential Medicine List of either WHO / NLEM. Do minorities not matter?

Let's take #Desferal. This is included in the NLEM, (always has at a secondary and tertiary level), but presumably for mainstream medical cases of iron poisoning. What about iron chelation therapy for those who have transfusion dependent thalassemia with reaction to oral version

There is 0 knowledge about requirements of this population despite repeated shortages of this crucial life-sustaining drug for people living with transfusion dependent blood disorders.

At least here there's no program / targeted intervention - what about recent ART shortages?!

Sure, HIV funding is history, but there's still a programme. Some surveillance. And yet State procurement agencies cannot ensure last mile seamless availability of a vital drug within the State's own public health network?!
Domiciliary care is the starting point of public health

And nowhere is the requirement of those living with rare diseases reflected in this list of essential medicines. Unless there's an acknowledgement of the needs of this population, whether catheters for spinal cord injured or clotting factor for haemophilia or ART or medical food

...with what conscience can one declare these lists as 'essential' for a 'population'? They are NOT representative of the needs of an atypical minority at greater risk of death and further disability.

Do better @mansukhmandviya @doctorsoumya . Acknowledge, register and reach us.