Medicines for Heart Health: Accessibility and Cost in Addis Ababa

Healthcare is a basic right, but many around the world can't access it. This is especially true in low- and middle-income countries. A recent study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, looked into the availability, pricing, and affordability of essential medicines for heart disease. Researchers checked public, private, and other pharmacies between April and June 2024. They found that only about a third of the needed medicines were available. The prices varied greatly among different sectors.

For example, in public pharmacies, the prices were about three and a half times higher than the standard price. In private pharmacies, they were seven times higher. This makes these medicines very expensive for many people. In fact, a month's supply could cost up to 352 days' worth of a low-paid government worker's salary. This study shows that there are big problems with getting and affording heart disease medicines in Ethiopia.

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