I belong to a developing country, so I think it's a need of today. Improving the access to lifesaving medicines in low-income countries is a big challenge in general now a days. Injections can be a particular challenge in low-resource settings and there are a number of factors that can limit the effective use of drugs administered by conventional injection in developing countries like Pakistan, particularly in remote and community settings like villages. Too often, patients cannot access essential medication and this unmet health need results from several factors:
1. Prohibitively high cost
2. Inconsistent availability of medications where patients seek care
3. Difficulty with administration stemming from a limited number of skilled health care workers
4. Dangers associated with needle reuse and accidental needle-sticks
5. Risks involving glass breakage and inappropriate temperature control during transport and storage
I want to ask about a scalable, easy-to-use, low-cost, pre filled injection device solution/concepts for the safe delivery of medicine to patients in developing countries. Low cost of goods is absolutely essential for impact.
@Umer Let me know if such injection device (ready-to-use, I assume) should be operated by direct users (like e.g. insulin pump) after short learning, local first-aid person or specialized medical personnel? Answer is critical for further solution searching - particular answer excludes some possible solutions (in the simpliest case: intramuscular, intravenous, etc.).
From the other side: policy of health care in rural areas tends toward solution as follows:
1. basic local aid and care,
2. remote (e-health) specialistic diagnosis and care, local therapy where available,
3. if remote os not possible - another solutions, usually much more expensive.
Is there the aforementioned model used in your case too?
@ Dear Dr Emilia Mikołajewska , thanks for your interest
You are very right such injection device must be ready-to-use and operated by direct users
In fact The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world’s developing world population is unable to receive or purchase essential medicine on a regular basis. Access to treatment is correlated directly with the availability of affordable medications. In many cases, these drugs are administered via injection by trained personnel. The availability of trained first-aid person or specialized medical personnel is very less and in some cases not possible. So desire is to design an easy-to-use, prefilled injection device for patients . This device should be easy to operate by patient with out any assistance and intravenous detection may also eased for him and for that matter i suggest a device like a plastic lens to detect a blood vains can be Incorporated or any other low cost solution for vain detection. Dangers associated with needles may also be considered while designing. I think glass and metal can also be replaced by some other composite materiel like composite plastic. That all are the options that i have thought so far... but as you are an expert you will further guide on the subject matter...
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