EnsuringEssentialMedicinesSatisfyPriorityHealthcare.pdfVIP

November 2016 Ensuring Essential Medicines Satisfy Priority Healthcare Needs of Populations Evolution, Current State and Future Needs Introduction The introduction of the first Essential Medicines List (EML) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1977 was a landmark step towards the Millennium Development Goal of healthcare for all. The key driving force behind the concept was an understanding of the need to ensure availability of key medicines to satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population. The EML has proven to be a powerful tool for promoting health equity across the