WHO Essential Diagnostics List
Like the Model List of Essential Medicines, the Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (“essential diagnostics list”, EDL) is intended to provide evidence-based guidance to countries for creating their own lists of essential in vitro diagnostic tests.
National essential medicines lists have been successful in facilitating access to treatment, particularly in low-resourced countries, by prioritizing the most important medicines all countries should make available to their populations. It is expected that national EDLs will provide the same benefits for in vitro diagnostic tests. It should be noted that EDLs may be included in national lists of essential / priority medical devices that are used for public procurement, reimbursement or for universal health coverage.
Essential diagnostics: Diagnostics that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy and comparative cost effectiveness; similar to the definition of an essential medicines.
This List is the definitive Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics and replaces two previous versions that were published on the WHO website in May and November 2018.
