Strengthening of health care and local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access and affordability

Abstract

A lot of discussion happened regarding the required World Health Organization's support to strengthen local production of drugs in this pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has struggled for everything starting from the availability of masks, personal protective equipment's, medicines, equipment, ventilators, and even basic oxygen. All these needs have exposed the existing condition of our health-care system that has called for improving the infrastructure and workforce at the earliest. Health-care spending and its impact on economic performance are vital to be seen leading to an increase in gross domestic product and vice versa. A recent estimate states that our country which was told as world's pharmacy is now facing a shortage of vaccines doses. A recent estimate states that our country which was told as world's pharmacy is now facing a shortage of vaccines doses creating the necessary research and development to discover or develop innovative way of strengthening the local production of medicines. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India has initiated several measures to ensure the quality of drugs available in India. Lower- and middle-income countries face macroeconomic vulnerabilities, high levels of poverty and are lagging behind the universal health coverage. Hence, necessary recommendations were arrived for these issues in this article.