Last Updated: 19/12/2024
Engaging unlicensed drug shops in Uganda
Objectives
This project will harness the potential of unlicensed drug shop owners to recognize malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea, and to deliver appropriate diagnostics and treatment that is affordable and accessible to families, helping to reduce Uganda’s high death rate among children under five.
In many countries, private sector health providers, including informal drug shops, are routinely consulted when illness strikes. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 30% and 70% of febrile children in developing countries are treated in the private sector, including through drug shops. Other studies report that between 39% and 53% of people who seek treatment for an illness consult a private health provider first, including general merchandise sellers, pharmacies, for-profit providers and drug sellers. Many private sector providers are unlicensed and unsupervised. They often diagnose illnesses incorrectly, sell reduced doses of medicines, expired drugs and drugs that are not recommended by national guidelines.
Mar 2014 — Dec 2015
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