New Report Highlights Urgent Barriers to Accessing Essential Tuberculosis Medicines in Canada
Stop TB Canada’s latest report reveals alarming gaps in access to essential tuberculosis (TB) medicines across the country, raising urgent concerns about Canada’s capacity to effectively combat this preventable and treatable disease. The report, Access to Essential Tuberculosis Medicines in Canada, presents the findings of a national survey involving 71 healthcare providers and highlights major obstacles that are preventing timely treatment for people with TB.
Key barriers to accessing essential TB medicines
The report uncovers several barriers to accessing essential TB medicines, including a lack of pediatric formulations, recurring drug shortages, and difficulties obtaining drugs that are not marketed in Canada. These issues delay treatment, increase hospitalization, and undermine the quality of care, putting patients at greater risk for complications and poor outcomes.
While many countries have adopted newer, shorter, and safer TB treatment regimens, these advancements have not yet reached Canadian patients. The World Health Organization has endorsed these regimens, but regulatory delays and market restrictions prevent their availability in Canada, leaving patients without access to the most effective treatments available globally. Healthcare providers in Canada face long approval processes and complex regulatory pathways to access these drugs, resulting in delays of up to four months in some provinces. Furthermore, many healthcare providers reported patient hesitancy to take drugs that are not approved by Health Canada, further complicating treatment efforts.
While Canada has made significant strides in fighting TB over the years, the number of people with TB has gradually increased. In 2022, Canada saw 1,971 people diagnosed with TB. Indigenous communities, who make up less than 10% of Canada’s population, represent nearly a quarter of those affected by TB. Additionally, TB diagnoses remain disproportionately high among people born outside of Canada, underscoring the country’s deep connection to the global TB pandemic. Worldwide, over 10 million people worldwide became sick with TB in 2023, resulting in 1.25 million deaths.
Taking action
In light of these findings, Stop TB Canada urges policymakers to take decisive action to address these critical gaps in access. Our recommendations include:
Establishing clear obligations and incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to market essential TB medicines, including pediatric formulations, in Canada.
Simplifying and expediting the approval process for non-marketed TB drugs to reduce treatment delays.
Developing a national procurement strategy to ensure a stable, continuous supply of TB medicines, including a centralized stockpile and a standardized system to track and manage drug shortages.
Dr. Madhukar Pai of McGill University’s Department of Global and Public Health states that “it is a shame that in a wealthy country like Canada, people are struggling to access essential tuberculosis medicines. This neglect must end”.
The findings in this report serve as a call to action for Canadian decision-makers to ensure that all those in need of treatment have timely access to essential TB medicines. Canada must act to resolve these challenges now in order to make significant strides in eliminating TB, both at home and abroad, and to uphold its global leadership in health equity.