Accessibility of Anti-Malarial Medicines in Asia Pacific Regions between 2019 and 2022: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Investigation

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the consumption of anti-malarial medicines in the 2022 WHO Model List of Essential medicines in 6 Asia Pacific countries that weren’t certified malaria-free from 2019 to 2022, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

METHODS:

We extracted the quarterly data for 14 anti-malarial medicines using the IQVIA database from the third quarter in 2019 to the second quarter in 2022. We used standards units (SU) sold per 10 00 cases to evaluate the consumption (accessibility). Changes of consumption and expenditure were estimated using compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Correlations between consumption, country’s socioeconomic, health performance, product supplier and COVID-19 stringency index indicators were measured using leasts quares (pooled) panel data regression model.

RESULTS:

Between 2019-2022, all countries except Vietnam presented a decreased GAGRs of consumption, respectively -8.25% in Bangladesh, -7.32% in India, -16.13% in Indonesia, -11.87% in Pakistan and -3.82% in Thailand. Consumption was associated with prevalence of diabetes diseases (coefficient -0.007, 95% confidence interval -0.01 - -0.0005), human development index (coefficient 24.2, 95% confidence interval 5.1 - 43.3) and the proportion of non-local producer (coefficient -0.09, 95% confidence interval-0.18 - -0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:

There have been a disruption of anti-malarial medicines during COVID-19 pandemic in Asia Pacific regions. Our results underline a strengthened health system and localized drug production to guarantee the access especially in the context of public health emergency.