Mexico and Ecuador confront pediatric medication shortages

In Mexico, federal deputy Noemí Luna Ayala (PAN) has called on the Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Auditing Office, the Anticorruption Secretariat and the Health Ministry to investigate the expiration of 18.4 million doses of medicines and medical supplies, an alleged loss of about 121 million pesos. She demands transparency on inventories and supply chains at the Hospital Infantil Federico Gómez and federal warehouses, emphasizing the impact on children with cancer.

In Ecuador, parents of children with spinal muscular atrophy (AME) testified before the National Assembly’s Commission for Children and Adolescents, reporting that their children have not received the approved medication despite court orders. The commission announced new oversight actions against the Institute of Social Security (IESS) and other health institutions, citing violations of the right to health.

Both cases highlight severe gaps in the provision of essential medicines for vulnerable pediatric patients and have prompted legislative and judicial scrutiny in their respective countries.