Stock-outs of antiretroviral and tuberculosis medicines in South Africa: A national cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

HIV and TB programs have rapidly scaled-up over the past decade in Sub-Saharan Africa and uninterrupted supplies of those medicines are critical to their success. However, estimates of stock-outs are largely unknown. This survey aimed to estimate the extent of stock-outs of antiretroviral and TB medicines in public health facilities across South Africa, which has the world's largest antiretroviral treatment (ART) program and a rising multidrug-resistant TB epidemic.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional telephonic survey (October-December 2015) of public health facilities. Facilities were asked about the prevalence of stock-outs on the day of the survey and in the preceding three months, their duration and impact.

Results

Nationwide, of 3547 eligible healt

SUBMITTER: Hwang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6413937 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature