Affordability of inhaled corticosteroids as a potential barrier to treatment of asthma in some developing countries.

Setting: The cost and availability of the medications required for the treatment of asthma may represent potential barriers to effective management.

Method: A survey of prices and policies for components of asthma treatment in 1998, in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Syria, Turkey and Vietnam.

Results: Medications were consistently available in only four of the eight countries studied.