Selection of essential medicines at country level: using the WHO model list of essential medicines to update a national essential medicines list (2020)

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) requires access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines, vaccines and health products. Equity in public health depends on access to essential, high-quality and affordable health-related technologies for all. However, approximately half the world’s population lacks access to such essential health-related technologies, specifically essential medicines. Moving towards UHC requires that countries concentrate efforts on supporting a people-centred health system with primary care as its foundation, and essential medicines, community-based services, health promotion and disease prevention as key components.

This document aims to support countries in developing their own national essential medicines lists (national EMLs, or NEMLs) and, through these lists and other medicine policy actions, to progress towards UHC and the goal of ensuring that all people and communities have access to highly effective medicines that are appropriate to their needs, affordable to individuals and health systems, and of assured quality.