International health
-
International health · Sep 2019
Medical donations are not always free: an assessment of compliance of medicine and medical device donations with World Health Organization guidelines (2009-2017).
Medicine and medical device donations have the potential to improve access to healthcare in some of the poorest parts of the world, but can do more harm than good. World Health Organization guidelines advise donors on how to make effective and useful donations. Our objective was to assess compliance of recent medicine or medical device donations with WHO guidelines from 2009 onwards. ⋯ More effective donations involved needs assessments, training and the use of existing distribution networks. The donation of medicines and medical devices is frequently inadequately reported and at times inappropriate. Guidelines need to be enforced to ensure effective donations.