Appendix s — Estimated Lives Saved by Increased Drug Accessibility

Published

February 12, 2025

Here’s an estimated table of the number of lives that could potentially be saved annually if these drugs were made more accessible, based on available data and studies:

Drug Purpose Estimated Lives Saved Annually Source of Deaths Prevented
Naloxone (Narcan) Reverses opioid overdoses ~50,000 Opioid overdoses (over 100,000 annually in the U.S.)
Low-Dose Aspirin Prevents heart attacks and strokes ~10,000 Cardiovascular disease, especially secondary prevention
Statins Reduces cholesterol, prevents heart disease ~25,000 Heart attacks and strokes in high-risk populations
Oral Contraceptives Prevents unintended pregnancies ~70,000 Maternal mortality globally due to unsafe abortions/pregnancy
Buprenorphine Treats opioid use disorder ~30,000 Opioid overdoses through treatment accessibility
Hydroxyurea Treats sickle cell disease ~100,000 Complications from sickle cell disease, especially in Africa
Misoprostol Prevents postpartum hemorrhage, manages miscarriages ~75,000 (PubMed: reduces PPH deaths by 60-80%) Maternal mortality globally
PrEP (e.g., Truvada) Prevents HIV transmission ~250,000 HIV/AIDS deaths globally
Ivermectin (for parasites) Treats river blindness, scabies, etc. ~250,000 (WHO: prevents 200,000 deaths annually from river blindness alone) Parasitic infections, especially in low-income regions
Albuterol Inhalers Treats asthma and COPD emergencies ~10,000 Preventable asthma/COPD deaths globally
Proton Pump Inhibitors Treats GERD, prevents esophageal cancer ~5,000 Esophageal cancer deaths from untreated GERD
PEP (Antiretrovirals) Prevents HIV transmission after exposure ~5,000 Preventable HIV/AIDS deaths
Epinephrine (EpiPen) Treats anaphylaxis ~2,000 Preventable anaphylaxis deaths
Antibiotics (e.g., Azithromycin) Treats bacterial STIs, infections ~10,000 Complications from untreated infections, including infertility
Ondansetron (Zofran) Treats nausea in chemotherapy/pregnancy ~1,000 Deaths from dehydration/malnutrition in high-risk patients

Notes on Estimates:

  1. Naloxone: Data is based on the U.S. opioid epidemic; global figures may be higher.
  2. Oral Contraceptives: Maternal mortality figures are global, with most deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
  3. PrEP and PEP: Estimates are based on the reduction of HIV/AIDS transmission in high-risk populations.
  4. Misoprostol: Prevents deaths from postpartum hemorrhage and unsafe abortion complications globally.
  5. Hydroxyurea: Focused on sickle cell disease patients, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
  6. Statins and Aspirin: Based on reductions in cardiovascular disease-related deaths.
  7. Ivermectin: Preventable deaths from parasitic diseases like river blindness and scabies, mostly in low-income countries.
  8. Epinephrine and Albuterol: Primarily emergency treatments for preventable deaths in allergic and respiratory emergencies.

This table highlights the profound public health impact that could result from removing barriers to access for these drugs.

Additional Sources:

  1. Naloxone Estimates:

  2. PrEP (Truvada) Estimates:

  3. Hydroxyurea Estimates:

  4. Ivermectin Estimates:

  5. Misoprostol Estimates: