Available anemic drugs disappeared from pharmacies

The anemia is rapidly growing in Azerbaijan. Against this background, effective medicines used for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia disappeared in pharmacies. Instead of cheap, effectively compensating for iron deficiency anemic drugs "Tardiferon" and "Gyno-tardiferon" retail network offers expensive analogues. The cost of these medicines in the capital's pharmacies was over six manats. The price of the cheapest analog was twice as expensive. Employees of drugstores refer to the lack of medicines at wholesale outlets, since "importing them has become unprofitable because of the low cost." "These inexpensive popular drugs are not being imported for several months,"Turan was told in the Moscow pharmacy.

Meanwhile, in the country has sharply increased cases of iron deficiency anemia. It's no secret that this disease is the result of a limited and unbalanced diet - a lack of rich food and drink rum: red meat (for example, beef liver, lamb), ground beef, chicken and turkey meat. Iron is easier to digest from animal food, when compared with plant sources, which means that the deficit of meat and fish in the diet becomes the main cause of iron deficiency anemia.

Since last year, the country has increased the statistics of children suffering from anemia. So, last year 28 948 children were diagnosed for the first time (in 2015 this figure was 28 018, in 2010 - 21 566), the State Statistics Committee informs. But the sharp increase in the number of children with anemia in 2016 followed exactly a year after the devaluation, which doubled the price of meat, while the consumer basket of Azerbaijanis rose by 50% according to real estimates. Has the increased statistics of anemic children been a sad consequence of a drop in the purchasing power of the population and malnutrition?

One thing is clear - with the rise in prices in the diet of the population, the rich food source of iron gives way to cheaper food. In the midst of this problem, a representative of UNICEF in Azerbaijan enlightened local journalists about the importance of increasing in the diet of women products with iron content, "the absence of which in the mother's body is fraught with problems for infants." "Today UNICEF proposes to use the simplest and proven method of replenishing a lack of iron in the body - enrich the iron with flour," said Chairman of the Union of Free Consumers (ESP) Eyub Huseynov. According to him, in November of the last year it was announced at a round table with the participation of representatives of UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and parliamentarians.

At the same time, it is not known whether the problem of availability of iron-rich food, drugs and high-quality medical services to the general population was discussed. However, high rates of anemia among women (which is a deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood) cause UNICEF anxiety: "Anemia can have serious consequences for pregnant women, in particular, affect the course of pregnancy itself, the weight of the fetus. The latest available data show that anemia affects a third of women in Azerbaijan. In 60% of cases, anemia is caused by a lack of iron in the blood and is called "iron deficiency anemia," the international organization said in a statement.

It is important to note that the drugs "Tardifern" and "Gino-tardiferone" that have disappeared from the Azerbaijani pharmacies are usually used to treat anemia in children and women during pregnancy (Gyno-tardiferone, including folic acid, is preferred). Indications for use:

Iron deficiency (hypochromic) anemia, especially caused by iron deficiency due to inadequate intake from food, due to a physiologically caused increased need and chronic loss of blood. Latent iron deficiency, especially in women of childbearing age, in adolescents during periods of increased growth and in the elderly. As a prophylactic measure with an increased need for iron to prevent iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, in the postpartum period and during breastfeeding.

"The stopped import and shortage of drugs suggests that the decision-makers of the Ministry of Health do not take into account the situation. If demand is met with expensive drugs, and affordable drugs are no longer imported into the country, then barriers have emerged along this path. State structures must combat monopolies and cartel agreements. After all, the president repeatedly noted this,"E.Huseynov said.--0--