Drugs are scarce as mix of programs aims to ease access.

A patchwork of groups and programs are working to improve the situation. Local hospitals raise funds for individual patients as do charitable groups, like the Cancer Patients Aid Association in India. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local health authorities work with drug companies to donate drugs or slash prices. Clinical trial networks are testing low-cost treatment strategies. And legal action to provide access to generic drugs is making a dent in the problem. But such scattershot efforts will be insuffi cient to address the rapidly growing needs, experts say.