Why is there a global shortage of essential medicines?

There’s not enough medicine for everyone because it’s like having only one toy for all the kids at a party.

Imagine you’re at a big birthday party with 100 friends, but there’s only one ball to play with. That doesn’t make sense, right? It’s the same with medicine, there are many people who need medicine, but not enough is made or sent where it's needed most.

Medicine factories are like toy makers, they make the medicine that helps people feel better. But sometimes these factories can’t make as much as everyone needs, just like if a toy maker only makes one ball instead of 100.

Also, some medicines need to be sent far away, like from one country to another. If the roads or planes are busy, it takes longer for the medicine to get where it’s needed, kind of like how your favorite snack might take forever to arrive if there's a traffic jam on the way to school.

Sometimes, people in richer countries buy up all the medicine, leaving less for others who need it more, just like when someone takes the last cookie from the jar before everyone else gets theirs.