Landscape assessment of the availability of medical abortion medicines in India.

BACKGROUND: Medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol can be provided up to 63 days' gestation in India. This accounts for 67.5 percent of all abortions in the country. We conducted an assessment to determine the availability of medical abortion medicines, specifically the combi-pack, in India. METHODS: We applied the World Health Organization landscape assessment protocol at the national level. The assessment protocol included a five-step adaptation of an existing availability framework, including online data collection, desk review, country-level key informant interviews, and an analysis to identify barriers and opportunities to improve medical abortion availability. The assessment was conducted between August and March 2021. RESULTS: Medicines for medical abortion are included in the national essential drug list and available with prescription in India. The assessment identified 42 combi-pack products developed by 35 manufacturers. The quality of medical abortion medicines is regulated by national authorities; but as health is devolved to states, there are significant inter-state variations. This is seen across financing, procurement, manufacturing, and monitoring mechanisms for quality assurance of medical abortion medicines prior to distribution. There is a need to strengthen supply chain systems, ensure consistent availability of trained providers and build community awareness on use of medical abortion medicines for early abortions, at the time of the assessment. CONCLUSION: Opportunities to improve availability and quality of medical abortion medicines exist. For example, uniform implementation of regulatory standards, greater emphasis on quality-assurance during manufacturing, and standardizing of procurement and supply chain systems across states. Regular in-service training of providers on medical abortion is required. Finally, innovations in evidence dissemination and community engagement about the recently amended abortion law are needed.

Medical abortion is popular in India and benefits from a liberal legal context. It is important to understand the availability of quality abortion medicines in the country. Using the World Health Organization country assessment protocol and availability framework for medical abortion medicines we examined the availability of these medicines from supply to demand. We used this information to identify opportunities for increasing availability of quality-assured medical abortion medicines. We found that the context for medical abortion varies across states. Strengthening procurement and supply chain management, with a greater emphasis on quality-assurance and regulation of manufacturing should be instituted at the state-level. Training is also needed to increase provider knowledge of the latest national guidelines and laws to ensure respectful and person-centered services. Finally, the public should be informed about medical abortion as a safe and effective choice, especially for early abortions.

Availability of medical abortion medicines in eight countries: a descriptive analysis of key findings and opportunities.

BACKGROUND: In recent years a growing number of manufacturers and medical abortion products have entered country markets and health systems, with varying degrees of quality and accessibility. An interplay of factors including pharmaceutical regulations, abortion laws, government policies and service delivery guidelines and provider's knowledge and practices influence the availability of medical abortion medicines. We assessed the availability of medical abortion in eight countries to increase understanding among policymakers of the need to improve availability and affordability of quality-assured medical abortion products at regional and national levels. METHODS: Using a national assessment protocol and an availability framework, we assessed the availability of medical abortion medicines in Bangladesh, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and South Africa between September 2019 and January 2020. RESULTS: Registration of abortion medicines-misoprostol or a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol-was established in all countries assessed, except Rwanda. Mifepristone and misoprostol regimen for medical abortion was identified on the national essential medicines list/standard treatment guidelines for South Africa as well as in specific abortion care service and delivery guidelines for Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, and Rwanda. In Liberia, Malawi, and Sierra Leone-countries with highly restrictive abortion laws and no abortion service delivery guidelines or training curricula-no government-supported training on medical abortion for public sector providers had occurred. Instead, training on medical abortion was either limited in scope to select private sector providers and pharmacists or prohibited. Community awareness activities on medical abortion have been limited in scope across the countries assessed and where abortion is broadly legal, most women do not know that it is an option. CONCLUSION: Understanding the factors that influence the availability of medical abortion medicines is important to support policymakers improve availability of these medicines. The landscape assessments documented that medical abortion commodities can be uniquely impacted by the laws, policies, values, and degree of restrictions placed on service delivery programs. Results of the assessments can guide actions to improve access.

Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age. Medical management of abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol pills, or just misoprostol, is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy. Owing to an increase in the number of medical abortion products that have entered country health systems, we examined access to these medicines from supply to demand in selected countries. The overarching goal of the national landscape assessments was to produce evidence to support advocacy efforts and policymaking for improved access to quality medical abortion products that is appropriate to the needs of the country. This paper aims to describe key findings across eight country settings on the availability of medical abortion medicines and identify key opportunities to improve access to them across countries.

In-country availability of medical abortion medicines: a description of the framework and methodology of the WHO landscape assessments.

BACKGROUND: Availability of quality-assured medical abortion medicines plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive abortion care. However, access to these medicines is still restricted for many abortion seekers. Increasing availability of affordable, quality-assured mifepristone and misoprostol is important to improve access to safe medical abortion services. Driven by the outcomes of a global consultation hosted by the World Health Organization and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in 2018, we decided to holistically examine access to medical abortion medicines from supply to demand. The overarching principle of the national landscape assessments was to generate evidence to support policy dialog and policymaking that is contextual to the needs of the country. This paper aims to describe the framework and methodological approach used in the World Health Organization landscape assessments of medical abortion medicines at country-level. METHODS: A country assessment protocol was developed to guide the methodology of the World Health Organization landscape assessments. The assessment protocol included adaptation of an existing availability framework, an online desk review and literature review for existing data available for the country of interest, country-level key informant interviews, and analysis of the data to identify barriers and opportunities to improve medical abortion availability. CONCLUSION: The availability framework and methodology will allow the identification of key barriers that limit readiness of medical abortion medicines, and the development of opportunities to overcome those barriers. The national landscape assessments will provide directions for future investments and offer guidance for policy and programming on medical abortion care.

Increasing availability of affordable, safe, and effective medical abortion medicines is necessary to improve access to safe medical abortion services. Driven by the results of a meeting hosted by the World Health Organization and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in 2018, we decided to examine access to medical abortion medicines from supply to demand in selected countries. The overarching goal of the national landscape assessments was to generate evidence to support advocacy efforts and policymaking that is appropriate to the needs of the country. This paper aims to describe the assessment protocol and the steps taken in the World Health Organization landscape assessments of medical abortion medicines at country-level. The assessment allows for a determination of the enabling environment surrounding the provision of medical abortion services. This in turn allows for the identification of key barriers that limit availability of abortion medicines, and the identification of opportunities to overcome those barriers. The availability framework includes both supply and demand sides of commodity availability, considering factors from product introduction to use. This approach can be used for future national assessments for any health commodity or service. The assessment findings will be informative to policymakers and programme managers in developing plans to safeguard availability of safe and effective medical abortion medicines.

Influenza and End-Stage Renal Disease: A Fatal Combination.

Influenza epidemics are a major health care problem in the United States causing significant morbidity and mortality. Influenza can occur in all individuals, but immunocompromized hosts and those with chronic diseases such as end-stage renal disease are more susceptible to its fatal complications. Influenza though is largely preventable with the availability of highly efficacious vaccines. Despite the wide array of vaccine types available, the vaccination rates remain dismal, thereby leading to high incidence of the disease. In this report, we discuss a case of an unvaccinated patient with end-stage renal disease who contracted the influenza virus with fatal consequences. This report discusses multiple factors that allowed for a highly preventable disease to cause this negative outcome and provides suggestions to prevent such outcomes in the future.

Community-based availability of misoprostol: is it safe?

This paper evaluates the safety and acceptability of long-term community-based use of misoprostol for management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in home-births, by comparing deliveries with and without misoprostol use in communities of Kigoma, Tanzania. We administered a standardized survey instrument to women who delivered between August 2004 and May 2007. 940 women completed questionnaires, corresponding to 950 deliveries. Findings showed that the majority of TBAs administered misoprostol at the correct time (76%). Receipt of three or five tablets was most commonly reported (47% and 43% respectively). Misoprostol users were significantly more likely to experience shivering, high temperature, nausea, and vomiting after delivery; adjustment for gynecological history and delivery characteristics revealed no significant differences in experience of symptoms. Misoprostol was highly acceptable to all women surveyed. Misoprostol at the community level is a safe intervention.

Introducing birth plans in Mexico: an exploratory study in a hospital serving low-income Mexicans.

BACKGROUND: Increased medicalization of childbirth in Mexico has not always translated into more satisfactory childbirth experiences for women. In developed countries, pregnant women often prepare written birth plans, outlining how they would like their childbirth experiences to proceed. The notion of expressing childbirth desires with a birth plan is novel in the developing world. We conducted an exploratory study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of introducing birth plans in a hospital serving low-socioeconomic status Mexicans and to document women's and health practitioners' perspectives on the advantages and barriers in implementing a birth plan program. METHODS: We invited 9 pregnant women to prepare birth plans during their antenatal care visits. The women also participated in interviews before and after childbirth. We also conducted in-depth interviews with 4 women who had given birth in the past year, and with 2 nurses, 2 social workers, and 1 physician to learn about their perspectives on the benefits and challenges of implementing a birth plan program. RESULTS: All 9 women who completed a birth plan found the experience highly satisfying, despite the fact that in some cases, their childbirths did not proceed as they had specified in their plans. Interviewed practitioners believed that birth plans could improve the childbirth experience for women and health care practitioners, but facilities often lacked space and financial incentives for birth plan programs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that birth plans are acceptable and feasible in this study population. Facility administrators would need to commit to provide the physical space and financial incentives necessary to ensure successful implementation.