Caracas, Capital District, Venezuela - April 23, 2024

The NGO Convite warned on Thursday about the shortage of key medicines in Venezuela which, according to its measurements, reached 36.9% during March. This figure represented a rise of 1.1 percentage point from the previous month, when it stood at 35.8 per cent.

Among the drugs with the largest shortages were those for diabetes, followed by those for the treatment of hypertension, convulsions, depression, diarrhoea and acute infections.

"In at least two out of every ten pharmaceutical establishments visited, these drugs were not found," the non-governmental organisation said in its recent bulletin.

A similar trend had been recorded in February, when the "highest" percentages of shortages were found in remedies for diabetes, acute respiratory infections and convulsions.

However, the situation is not the same throughout the country, with the cases of San Fernando de Apure - capital of the western state of Apure - and Caracas - the country's capital - being highlighted, where a "compromised" supply of medicines to treat these illnesses was evident. There, the note indicates, "despite the absence of certain drugs, the results remain favourable in terms of supply".

SHOTLIST
1. various pharmacies with drug shortages in Caracas, Venezuela;
2. various outside pharmacies.