Making diagnostic tests as essential as medicines

The global health community has focused on access to health products for prevention (vaccines) and treatment (medicines) over the last 20 years, but despite the consequences of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis (including mistreatment, health complications and costly unnecessary interventions), there...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ global health 2018-08, Vol.3 (4), p.e001033-e001033
Main Authors: Velazquez Berumen, Adriana, Garner, Sarah, Hill, Suzanne Rose, Swaminathan, Soumya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Diagnostic tests
Disease
Global health
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Low income groups
Medical diagnosis
Medical equipment
Public health
Testing laboratories
Tropical diseases
Tuberculosis
Vaccines
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Summary:The global health community has focused on access to health products for prevention (vaccines) and treatment (medicines) over the last 20 years, but despite the consequences of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis (including mistreatment, health complications and costly unnecessary interventions), there has been very little focus in the global health dialogue to date on access to appropriate diagnostic tests to ensure appropriate treatment. Achieve universal health coverage (UHC), including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.6 Progress towards UHC means a lowering of barriers to seeking and receiving needed care: for example, out-of-pocket payments, distance, poorly equipped facilities and poorly trained health workers and receive the interventions currently agreed to be necessary.7 Access to diagnostic tests has to be a key part of this goal. First WHO prequalified hepatitis C rapid test opens the door to expanded treatment. http://www.who.int/medicines/news/prequal_hvc/en/ (accessed 15 May 2018).
ISSN:2059-7908
2059-7908
DOI:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001033