Revision of National Essential Diagnostics List

GS Paper III Science and Technology

Context:

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started revising the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL).

Suggestions for Changes in NEDL: The Council has invited relevant stakeholders to offer suggestions on adding or deleting diagnostic tests to the current list by the end of February.
Criteria for Inclusion in National Essential Diagnostics List:
- Disease Burden: The test should focus on conditions with a high disease burden.
- Public Health Impact: Emphasize tests with a clear impact on disease diagnosis and management for public health relevance.
Alignment with IPHS 2022: Any proposed addition should align with the availability of equipment, infrastructure and manpower, as per the Indian Public Health Standards, 2022.

Background: In 2018, the World Health Organisation had recommended the development and implementation of an NEDL to facilitate the availability of in-vitro diagnostics across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, in facilities with or without an onsite laboratory.
- India is the first country to release the NEDL in 2019. The list enumerates the minimum number of tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities,
- These levels include village-level facilities, sub-health centres, health and wellness centres, and primary health centres.
About: It lists the fundamental and essential diagnostic tests that should be accessible at different levels of healthcare facilities across the country.
Definition of Essential Diagnostic Tests: ICMR defines essential diagnostic tests as those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy, and comparative cost-effectiveness.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

It is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.

Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022

IPHS are a set of uniform standards envisaged to improve the quality of health care delivery in the country.
The IPHS guidelines act as the main driver for continuous improvement in quality and serve as the benchmark for assessing the functional status of health facilities.

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News Source: The Hindu