The challenges in managing Psoriatic Arthritis in resource poor settings

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Public Health
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic autoimmune disease causing significant morbidity and mortality globally.
• Implementation of advanced treatments for PsA is hindered in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the challenges and propose strategies for managing psoriatic arthritis in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of publications from PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Embase.
• Focus on psoriatic arthritis management in resource-limited contexts.

Main Results:

• Identified challenges in epidemiology (lack of data), diagnostics (delays, limited tools), and therapeutics (high costs, restricted access).
• Limited research capacity and funding further impede context-specific solutions.

Conclusions:

• Effective PsA management necessitates strengthening health systems, task-shifting to primary care, developing registries and guidelines, improving drug access, and fostering local research.
• Addressing these issues is crucial to reduce health inequities for PsA patients in underserved regions.