Health experts and policymakers wantpeople to have access to affordable and high-quality medicalcare. But in some developing countries, making qualityhealthcare available may first necessitate ensuring thatessential medicines are available, such as anti-malariapills and antibiotics. The challenge to guaranteeing asteady supply is not only related to the financial side ofpaying for medicines. Poor roads, limited communications andstorage problems can make it difficult to keep medicalfacilities stocked with what they need to provide childrenand adults with regular and lifesaving care. The World Bankis working to help countries provide quality medical care, akey part of many of the United Nations MillenniumDevelopment eight goals. Recently, in Zambia, the World Banksupported a project exploring how to guarantee theavailability of essential medicines in often-remote healthfacilities. The 12-month study, which covered almost 22percent of Zambia's rural population, found thatstreamlining the delivery of medicines directly to healthcenters and introducing a dedicated staff member to helpfacilitate and track orders cut down on the rate at whichclinics ran out of basic medicines. The focus on just oneaspect of good healthcare, making certain necessary suppliesare in stock in medical clinics, does not answer all thequestions that experts face in building or supportingfunctioning health systems. But it may help them as theywork towards creating the quality healthcare that all people deserve.
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