Media
STAT highlights uneven progress in expanding access to medicine
10 November 2026
Date
11 November 2026
Report: Access to essential medicines remains limited in low-income countries
Writing for The Star, Allan Kisia highlights findings from the recently launched 2026 Access to Medicine Index, reporting that while pharmaceutical companies are increasingly incorporating access considerations into drug development, the scale of their efforts remains insufficient to meet growing healthcare needs across the 113 countries assessed.
The article highlights persistent gaps in access to cancer and diabetes treatments, despite growing pharmaceutical research and innovation in these areas. It also covers the Index rankings, led by Novartis, GSK and AstraZeneca, and the expansion of inclusive business models, while noting that limited data makes it difficult to assess their impact on patients.
The coverage includes a quote from Access to Medicine Foundation CEO Jayasree K. Iyer: “Twenty years of progress have put us in a stronger position than ever to tackle persistent gaps in access. The Index has shown what works, companies have more tools at their disposal and access is increasingly being considered earlier. The opportunity now is to build on that foundation and reach many more people.”
The article also mentions comments from the Foundation’s Director of Research, Claudia Martínez, on the need for the industry to expand successful approaches and ensure more patients benefit from innovations in medicine.