Britain is “a few weeks away” from medicine shortages ranging from painkillers to cancer treatment if the Iran war continues, according to experts, while drug prices could also rise.
The conflict has disrupted the supply of a myriad of crucial raw materials, including oil, gas, crop fertiliser and helium – and health essentials could be next.
David Weeks, the Texas-based director of supply chain risk management at the analytics group Moody’s, said: “It’s the perfect storm. We have the conflict in the Gulf that caused the strait of Hormuz to shut down, and India is known as the pharmacy of the world. They produce a lot of the generic [off-patent] drugs and APIs [active pharmaceutical ingredients]. With the geopolitical situation, it’s harder and harder to get those out.”
With airports in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi initially closed and now operating a limited schedule, pharmaceutical companies have had to reroute their shipments via air, and some are now relying on sea transport, lengthening journey times.
It is the sea passage, that being blocked causes global supply chain shortages, causing major energy and manufacturing problems more many countries globally, which also impacts the resources of countries not directly affected.
The interconnectedness of global Capital has been turned against itself
This article is specifically about pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical precursors. It is about air transport, and the fact that war makes air transport dangerous.
The article is not primarily about sea passage.
RTFA.
Ah, totally fair
Although oil can also be critical for the creation of many drugs as well