The scarcity of medicines to treat six high-incidence morbidities in Venezuela was 26.2% in November 2023, according to a bulletin released this Sunday by the NGO Convite, which monitors the availability and access to these drugs in Caracas and 16 other cities throughout the country.
“November 2023 closes with a general indicator of 26.2% of medication shortages, one point less than in October, for the six morbidities that Convite monitors: hypertension, diabetesseizures, depressiondiarrhea and acute respiratory infections”, the NGO detailed.
According to the report, diabetes, with 34.4%; acute respiratory infections, with 33.8%and convulsions, with 28.9%they remain as “the three causes of morbidity with the highest rates of drug shortages.”
Regarding distribution by region, the NGO assured that in the month of November San Fernando de Apure and Caracas were the cities in which a “compromised” supply of medicines was recorded, while Maracaibo and San Carlos were the best supplied with these six drugs.
According to data recently provided to EFE by the Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (Cifar), the Venezuelan pharmaceutical market registered a growth of 7.6% from January to November of last year compared to the same period in 2022.
According to the sector, some 196.53 million medications were placed on the market until the penultimate month of last year, while during the same period in 2022, some 182.57 million were distributed in the country’s pharmacies.
Venezuela experienced years of general shortages that began to be covered in 2019, after shortages of medicines and food, greater than 80%which gave way to a parallel market of products with high prices, unaffordable for the majority of the population.
Source: Gestion
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