Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Sep;38(3):101983.
doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2024.101983. Epub 2024 Jul 26.

The inequity of global healthcare in pediatric rheumatology

Soamarat Vilaiyuk  1 , Djohra Hadef  2 , Wafa Hamdi  3 , Chris Scott  4 , Waheba Slamang  5 , Helen E Foster  6 , Laura B Lewandowski  7
Affiliations
Review

The inequity of global healthcare in pediatric rheumatology

Soamarat Vilaiyuk et al. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

In pediatric rheumatology, global health inequity relates to the uneven distribution of healthcare resources, accessibility, and health outcomes among children with rheumatic conditions across various countries, regions, and socioeconomic groups. This inequity can manifest in various ways. This review article provides an overview of common rheumatic diseases, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, which significantly contribute to and are affected by disparities in global healthcare. Subsequently, we delve into the inequalities in accessing patient care, encompassing issues related to diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, we address challenges in educational advancement and identify research gaps within the field of pediatric rheumatology. We also reveal successful global collaborations, such as a Global Task Force for Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health and special working groups among international organizations, aimed at bridging the disparities gap. Through these efforts, we try to enhance understanding, cooperation, and resource allocation to ensure equal access to quality care worldwide for children with rheumatic conditions. Futhermore, we present a case study from Thailand, highlighting their successful initiatives in developing pediatric rheumatology within their healthcare system.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Laura B. Lewandowski reports a relationship with the NIAMSIntramural Research Program, United States, that includes: funding grants. Chris Scott (co-author) is a guest editor of Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology (Pediatric Rheumatology Issue). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Key stakeholders in pediatric rheumatology development.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The steps of Thailand’s educational development in pediatric rheumatology.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Thailand’s model: the steps to access to high-cost medications. *PR, pediatric rheumatology, Rx, treatment, NLEM, National List of Essential Medicines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kumar B. Global health inequities in rheumatology. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2017;56(1):4–5. - PubMed
    1. Sachs JD. From millennium development goals to sustainable development goals. Lancet 2012;379(9832):2206–11. - PubMed
    1. Briggs AM, Woolf AD, Dreinhöfer K, et al. Reducing the global burden of musculoskeletal conditions. Bull World Health Organ 2018;96(5):366–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vos T, Flaxman AD, Naghavi M, et al. Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990–2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 2012;380(9859):2163–96. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sebbag E, Felten R, Sagez F, et al. The worldwide burden of musculoskeletal diseases: a systematic analysis of the World Health Organization Burden of Diseases Database. Ann Rheum Dis 2019;78(6):844–8. - PubMed

Publication types