[Ip-health] 15th WHO EML out now.

[Caroline Gallant]

Hello All

I would like to also highlight the inclusion of Zocor, a drug to help
treat cardiovascular disease, on the WHO EML.

Authors of the application include students Sandeep Kishore, Ben
Herbstman and librarians helen-ann brown and Patricia Mongelia, all
from Weill Cornell Medical College. The effort was completed by the
student-led Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) at the
Weill Cornell/ Rockefeller/ Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional program
and a group in Modena, Italy.

More info below.

Best,
Caroline Gallant
UAEM
McGill University

___

NEW YORK =97 The World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week a
move to make the life-saving, blockbuster cholesterol-lowering
medicine Zocor widely available globally. The WHO Committee on the
Selection and Use of Essential Medicines has included generic versions
of the blockbuster, cholesterol-lowering medicines referred to as
statins available on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.
Statins are proven, blockbuster medicines which are #1 and #2 spot on
best-selling medicines in the U.S. In now qualifying for the Model
List, statins will be available for drug donation by all United
Nations' (UN) groups and major philanthropic foundations.

The WHO estimates that heart or cardiovascular disease, is the leading
cause of death globally. Cardiovascular disease is no longer a
"Western disease" as nearly 80% of all deaths to heart disease are in
the poorest countries in the developing world. Despite fast-maturing
economies, these countries often lack the purchasing power for
life-saving, essential medicines.

The WHO's Model List substantially improves access to these medicines.
Most if not all donor agencies will only purchase medicines on the
Model List for drug donations. In additional, non-governmental
organizations and charities (e.g. The Clinton Foundation) use this
list as a guide to their donations. In certain cases, pharmaceutical
firms offer for striking price discounts for "essential medicines.".
The Model List, itself, is used as a purchasing list by 156 countries
with limited resources that are helped by this international expert
advice in setting their priorities for purchasing and distributing
essential medicines.

Authors of the application include students Sandeep Kishore, Ben
Herbstman and librarians helen-ann brown and Patricia Mongelia, all
from Weill Cornell Medical College. The effort was completed by the
student-led Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) at the
Weill Cornell/ Rockefeller/ Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional program
and a group in Modena, Italy.

International experts supported the students' work including Srinath
Reddy of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Derek Yach the
previous director Rockefeller Global Health program and former
director of the WHO program on non-communicable diseases and Jonathan
Quick former Director of the WHO Essential Drugs program.

UAEM is a international, non-profit student group that seeks to
leverage university resources to increase the access of essential
medicines globally, particularly for low-income countries. On April
18th, university students from across the U.S. will come together in a
National Day of Action (NDA) to demonstrate collective power of
university students/faculty in improving global public health.

CONTACT:
sunny.kishore@gmail.com
917-733-1973

The Essential Medicines program established the essential medicines
concept, that a limited list of essential medicines to meet the needs
of the vast majority of a population be purchased and made available
to everyone in the population before money is spent purchasing other
medicines. One hundred and fifty-six countries have adopted this
concept in principle. This Expert Committee advises the Director
General of WHO about policies and issues related to essential
medicines, and regularly updates a Model List of Essential Medicines
to show how the concept can be implemented. In 1977, the first Model
List contained 186 drugs. Now, 30 years later, it contains somewhat
over 300. The Model List, itself, is used as a purchasing list by many
countries with limited resources that are helped by this international
expert advice in setting their priorities for purchasing essential
medicines. Most if not all donor agencies such as UNICEF will only
purchase medicines on the Model List. In additional, non-governmental
organizations and charities use this list as a guide to their
donations. This WHO program has had global impact on making essential
medicines available to those who need them.

On 13-Apr-07, at 5:14 PM, Aelaf Worku wrote:

There are some interesting changes regarding epilepsy and peds
formulations but otherwise this report is lean with respect
to chronic disease treatments.  Below are both he list and the
accompanying press release.

http://www.who.int/medicines/news/EML15_WHO_NoteForMedia17_2007en.pdf

http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/EML15.pdf

Aelaf D. Worku
Medical Student, IV
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
917-992-0101
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"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the
individual who can labor in freedom."
-Albert Einstein
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