Myasthenia gravis in Latin America and the Caribbean: epidemiology, resources, and accessibility to diagnosis and treatment

Latin-American and Caribbean (LAC) countries face persistent challenges in achieving universal health coverage, with out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures posing a significant barrier. Access to care for rare diseases, such as myasthenia gravis (MG), is significantly impacted. We conducted an exploratory descriptive study between LAC countries, and we assessed the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic resources for MG across 12 LAC countries, along with associated costs and access barriers. We found marked inequalities regarding the availability and coverage of diagnostic tests and therapies by public healthcare systems. The elevated out-of-pocket costs, up to several times the minimum wage, and shortage of neurologists, makes appropriate diagnosis and treatments inaccessible for many patients living with MG. Novel treatments for MG are unavailable for most people with MG in Latin America.