E-DRUG: Priority life-saving medicines for women and children
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The priority list of life-saving medicines for mothers and children was published today at: www.who.int/childmedicines/prioritymedicines<http://www.who.int/childmedicines/prioritymedicines> .
This is an update to the Priority medicines for mothers and children 2011 which was integral in providing focus on those medicines that can save the most lives.
The update follows the 18th Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Medicines, new treatment guidelines, feedback from stakeholders and was developed in collaboration with the WHO Departments of: Essential Medicines and Health Products; Maternal, newborn, Child and Adolescent Health; and Reproductive Health and Research, and with UNFPA and UNICEF.
Updates to the list of priority life-saving medicines for mothers include: the addition of misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage; the additions of hydralazine and methyldopa for the treatment of severe pregnancy- induced hypertension and the removal of the 2-ml vial of magnesium sulfate; the addition of misoprostol and mifepristone for the provision of safe abortion services; the addition of tetanus vaccine for the prevention of tetanus in mothers and children; and the addition of contraceptives.
Procaine benzylpenicillin was removed from the list of medicines for treatment of pneumonia in children; higher dosage forms for neonatal sepsis were removed; an explanatory note on the gentamicin formulation was added and a referral to guidance on vaccines was made.
The list of priority medicines required for child health and survival, but for which further research and development is needed was removed from this update to reflect the need to advocate separately for these medicines.
To improve access, priority life-saving medicines should be:
* Manufactured according to quality standards;
* Licensed for use by regulatory authorities;
* On National Essential Medicines lists;
* Part of national standard treatment guidelines;
* Procured from the supplier of a quality product;
* In the supply chain and;
* Prescribed by health care professionals who know how to use them.
Deirdre Dimancesco
Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products
World Health Organization
dimancescod@who.int