WHO announcement: WHO moves to improve access to lifesaving medicines for hepatitis C, drug-resistant TB and cancers
“The essential medicines list (EML) is an essential tool for countries, regulators and procurers—such as Médecins Sans Frontières—alike.
The inclusion of medicines just added to the EML sends an important signal that initial high prices should not be a barrier preventing countries from considering use of medicines that can have an important public health impact.
Having these medicines on the EML can precisely create the pressure that is needed to overcome pricing and access barriers. The EML can help more proactively signal to manufacturers that they should prioritize registration in high-burden countries, and to countries that they should include the drug on their national EML.
EML and the WHO Preqaulitication Programme (PQP) need to work hand in hand to ensure that PQP is strengthened and adequately funded, and can include assessments of more medicine categories supported by the EML.”
Dr. Jennifer Cohn, Medical Director, MSF Access Campaign
Source: Médecins Sans Frontières