Strategies to Improve Health Systems(cont...)

Most countries in South Asia have developed essential drug lists to determine what drugs governments should purchase. Yet if countries were able to decide on a common essential drug list and to have a commonly agreed-on set of regulations, their procurement units could negotiate with drug companies collectively instead of individually, strengthening their bargaining position and securing lower prices.

Countries should therefore compare their lists and rationalize them, to eliminate country differences. International cooperation may well result in lower prices in those

Strategies to Improve Health Systems

Collaborate on Group Purchasing of Essential Medications to Increase their Access and Affordability

Because medications play a key role in achieving improved clinical outcomes among people with NCDs, assuring that patients have access to the appropriate medication is important. However, the context in South Asia makes this goal hard to achieve. All countries in the region spend a considerable proportion of total health expenditures on drugs, and much of this is paid by patients themselves, including the poor.

Strategies for NCD Risk Factors(cont...)

Standardize and Mandate Food Labeling Policy to Improve Knowledge and Awareness of Food Composition

Food-importing countries—especially the smaller ones—have little control over the exporting countries’ food quality and can suffer some adverse consequences. Food labeling is becoming more common, and accurate information is a first step to increase awareness of the nutritional components and calorie content for consumers.