title: Patient access to health care and medicines across low-income countries.
abstract: This study explores the issue of demand for health care and medicines in low-income country settings. Using the World Health Survey, multivariate analysis of cross-sectional household data from 35 low-income countries found that when ill, patient demand for health care to visit a clinic or hospital is inelastic ranging from -0.19 to 0.11. The main determinants of health seeking behaviour include having insurance, having a chronic condition, high household expenditure, and marital status. Women, the educated and those living in urban settings are more likely to seek care in a clinic. These findings suggest low-income patients will experience access problems, raising important policy implications to improve access to health care and medicines in these settings.
authors.affiliation: OECD, Health Division, 2 Rue André Pascal, Paris, 75016, France; LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: divyasrivastava.article@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGuire
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011203:Poverty; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Determinants of health; Health policy; Health-care access; Low-income countries; Medicines; Pharmaceutical policy