WHO Expands List of Essential In Vitro Diagnoses

Diving Brief:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday released its expanded list of essential diagnostics, which aims to help countries prioritize critical products that the group believes should be widely available and affordable in all healthcare systems. health.
• The agency said diagnostic selections, along with the list of essential medicines, are being used by more than 150 countries as a model to guide health spending decisions that represent the best value for money, according to the agency. evidence and impact.
• Updated diagnostics list Contains 46 general tests that can be used for routine patient care and detection of a variety of conditions, and 69 tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of specific diseases.

Insight on diving:

The WHO released its first list of essential diagnostics last year. The inaugural document focused on a limited number of priority diseases: HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis. This year's list has expanded to include more noncommunicable and communicable diseases.

In the cancer category, WHO has added 12 tests to detect solid tumors, including colorectal, hepatic, cervical, prostate, bad and germ cell cancers, as well as leukemias and lymphomas. A section has been added covering anatomical pathology tests that must be made available in specialized laboratories to facilitate the diagnosis of cancer, said the WHO.

As part of the general testing, WHO expanded the list to include tests for various conditions, such as iron anemia tests and tests to diagnose thyroid dysfunction and sickle cell disease, a form hereditary anemia widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.

The list also focuses on other infectious diseases prevalent in low- and middle-income countries such as cholera and neglected diseases such as leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, dengue and zikasaid the organization. Sections have been added for testing for influenza in community-based health facilities where no laboratory is available and for testing blood donations to make transfusions safer.

"As countries move closer to universal health coverage and medicines become more available, it will be critical to have the right diagnostic tools to ensure appropriate treatment," said Mariângela Simão, Assistant Director-General for HIV. WHO for medicines and health products.

In the case of medicines, WHO launched its essential drugs program more than 30 years ago at a time when most countries did not have a national drug policy and where objective information on the rational use of medicines was needed. drugs were limited. More than 100 countries have now adopted or are in the process of developing such policies, and at least 135 countries have their own manuals and therapeutic forms to provide impartial advice to health professionals on the use of medicines. said the group.

The latest list of essential medicines adds 28 medicines for adults and 23 for children and specifies the new uses of 26 products already listed, for a total of 460 products deemed essential for public health.