WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines

The term model list of essential drugs in its widest sense signifies social, economic, and human rights efforts to secure basic medicines for developing countries. More narrowly, the term denotes the legislation that recognizes and establishes these rights. International appreciation of these rights initially came in 1977, when the World Health Organization (WHO) compiled its first Model List of Essential Drugs, followed in 1978 by the Declaration of Alma-Ata and culminating in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of 2015. The terms Model List of Essential Drugs and Model List of Essential Medicines are interchangeable since both are commonly used to describe blueprints for selecting safe, effective, and affordable medicines to meet urgent health needs. WHO compiles both an adult and a pediatric version of ...