Kenyan urban centres have the highest number of users of NCD (Non-Communicable Disease) medicines in Kenya according to research. The medicines which are being provided by the government and mission hospitals through Norvatis Access Program costs only Kshs 150 per month, and help a lot to combat death related diseases such as Hypertension, Diabetes, Breast Cancer, asthma and non-communicable diseases. This is according to Head of Customer Services and Training Division at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), Dr Jonathan Kiliko.
Dr Jonathan further added that the biggest challenge is now in the rural areas since its very hard to meet the cost of the medicines thereby making them very much inaccessible to people in the rural areas.
Dr Kiliko urged the doctors to ensure a proper administering and prescription of the NCD medicines. “Doctors have an important role to play in managing NCDs in Kenya and as such, they should prescribe NCD medicines to patients based on need efficiency and relevance and not on incentives from pharmaceutical companies.”
A report done by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that 80% of the total world’s population mostly who are in the low and middle countries access NCDs. Dr Kiliko was speaking when the Norvatis Access Program was being rolled in the counties of Kisumu and Nandi.
This report combines the experience of many clinicians and researchers who have been conducting research on NCD and the priorities for reducing the burden of NCD.The focus is on cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.
In Kenya, the average revenue per person is 100 dollars per month with almost half the population In below the poverty line, which is why Novartis Access is seeking to establish the program long-term. The program is expected to reach 20 million people by 2020.
A research by West Media established that The World Health Organization (WHO) has now set a target to reduce deaths from NCD in people aged 70 years by 25% in 2025. Most research on NCD has been conducted in high-income countries.
