Only 50% of patients with chronic diseases follow treatment !

New data from the WHO indicates that patients failing to take prescribed medicines for their chronic conditions is a problem throughout the world. This is an increasing concern for conditions such as depression, HIV/AIDS and cardiovascular diseases where treatment needs to be administered by the patient themselves. Only 50% of patients adhere to their treatment regimes in developed countries and in developing countries the figures are even lower.

Noncommunicable diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease,cancer, diabetes), mental health disorders, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined represented 54% of the global burden of illness in 2001 and are expected to exceed 65% in 2020. The WHO states that patients need support from healthcare professionals and healthcare systems in order to follow their treatment regimes.

The WHO report Adherence to Long-Term Therapies. Evidence for Action notes that better adherence to existing treatment regimes may provide better health outcomes than new treatments and could contribute to better quality of life for patients and less pressure on stretched healthcare services.