Giving Compass' Take:

• Kwesi Eghan argues that in order to achieve universal healthcare a strong pharmaceutical system is vital to connect individuals with the medicines that they need. 

• How can philanthropy support capacity building in the pharmaceutical system? 

• Find out how foundations can accelerate health system improvement. 

UHC — the assertion that every person must have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without facing financial hardship — improves health. But that’s not all: It reduces poverty, creates jobs, drives economic growth, promotes gender equality, and prevents epidemics. It’s a momentous occasion and a great opportunity to start making real progress toward UHC.

But unless country commitments include efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical systems, communities will continue to struggle with inadequate health services and rising health costs that put their health and economic well-being in peril.

Here’s why: Poorly managed pharmaceuticals may be simply unaffordable or unavailable, meaning many people are unable to access the medicines they need. In some countries, medicine spending accounts for up to 67 percent of total health expenditures. They are a big expense for households, too, accounting for 45 to 75 percent of out of pocket payments.

And then there is availability: A Lancet analysis of 36 low- and middle-income countries showed that public availability of generic medicines ranged from about 29 percent to 54 percent. Gaps that drive system inefficiency include faulty selection and quantification, poor procurement and distribution practices, underuse of generic medicines, use of substandard and counterfeit medicines, and inappropriate medicine use.

But we know what to do about it.

Read the full article about strong pharmaceutical systems and UHC by Kwesi Eghan at Devex International Development.