Indian citizens lack free access to essential generic medicines, while policies risk undermining new drug research funding

Modern India has the third largest national economy in the world in purchasing power adjusted terms. The country is also now the world’s largest generic medicines exporter. But 400'600 million Indian citizens live in severe poverty.

Many still lack assured free access to good quality generic medicines and the support needed to use them to best effect. Unmet need is particularly high in the context of preventing and treating the growing burden of heart problems, strokes and other non'communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, finds a new report from the UK’s UCL School of Pharmacy, published today (July 17).

Titled Health and Health Care in India, the report estimates that non'communicable diseases (NCDs) already cost India the equivalent of 12.5% of the nation’s GDP [Gross Domestic Product] in lost welfare terms. A similar (though falling) burden is still imposed by infections and events such as traffic accidents and violent deaths in groups such as relatively young women,”