MSF briefing note regarding WHO pre-qualification for the 115th Session of the WHO Executive Board

WHO leadership must strengthen drug quality assurance function

It is critical that health providers worldwide are able to procure and use affordable essential medicines meeting adequate and globally accepted quality standards. The World Health Organization's pre-qualification project was set up in 2001 to fulfil this purpose. Since the first list of WHO pre-qualified drugs was published in 2002, the project has dramatically helped increase access to AIDS medicines in particular. But MSF is increasingly concerned about the lack of political support and resources for the WHO drug pre-qualification project, despite a resolution adopted at the World Health Assembly last May mandating the WHO Director General to strengthen the project. MSF is raising these concerns as the 32-member WHO Executive Board, which gives effect to the decisions and policies adopted by the World Health Assembly, meets in Geneva this week (Jan 17-25).