Managing Pharmaceuticals in International Health

"One third of the world's population lack effective access to quality assured essential medicines used rationally". When WHO first made this statement fifteen years ago, there was general concern that medical miracles such as antibiotics, antiparasitic medicines, vaccines and anal­ gesics would not be available to many people. Today, the proportion of those lack­ ing access is lower in Asia and Latin America and higher in Africa but there are probably about two billion people in this situation.