Forbes: Why The World Needs An Essential Diagnostics List
Lee Schroeder, assistant professor at the University of Michigan; Timothy Amukele, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Madhukar Pai, director of the McGill Global Health Programs

“…A recent NEJM article proposes a simple way to improve access to critical diagnostics: make a list. … The [Model List of Essential Medicines (EML)], a global health success, has improved access to medicines. Sadly, there is no equivalent Model List of Essential Diagnostics (EDL). Such a list would be impactful for these reasons: 1. Improve patient care and clinical outcomes … 2. Help detect emerging infectious threats … 3. Increase affordability … 4. Reduce antimicrobial resistance … 5. Improve regulation and quality of diagnostics … 6. Facilitate laboratory accreditation and training … 7. Improve supply chain and laboratory infrastructure … 8. Facilitate change in health care provider behavior … 9. Inform new technology development … 10. Facilitate epidemiological surveys, program evaluation and disease elimination … While many agencies could establish an EDL, WHO is the obvious choice, since they maintain the EML, make health policies, run prequalification programs, and oversee international health regulations. So, we call upon WHO to take the lead in creating a List of Essential Diagnostics. We also call on key stakeholders …, civil society …, and donors … to support WHO to make this happen” (8/4).