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      25 years of the WHO essential medicines lists: progress and challenges.

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          Abstract

          The first WHO essential drugs list, published in 1977, was described as a peaceful revolution in international public health. The list helped to establish the principle that some medicines were more useful than others and that essential medicines were often inaccessible to many populations. Since then, the essential medicines list (EML) has increased in size; defining an essential medicine has moved from an experience to an evidence-based process, including criteria such as public-health relevance, efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. High priced medicines such as antiretrovirals are now included. Differences exist between the WHO model EML and national EMLs since countries face varying challenges relating to costs, drug effectiveness, morbidity patterns, and rationality of prescribing. Ensuring equitable access to and rational use of essential medicines has been promoted through WHO's revised drug strategy. This approach has required an engagement by WHO on issues such as the effect of international trade agreements on access to essential medicines and research and development to ensure availability of new essential medicines.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Lancet
          Lancet (London, England)
          Elsevier BV
          0140-6736
          0140-6736
          May 17 2003
          : 361
          : 9370
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA. richardl@bu.edu <richardl@bu.edu>
          Article
          S0140-6736(03)13375-2
          10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13375-2
          12767751
          c3aa1206-5a97-4856-88a9-89fb1dacd55f
          History

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