The World Health Organization (WHO), at its 25th Expert Committee meeting , updated the Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML).

About the Update

• Drugs Added: Semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, all GLP-1 receptor agonists were included in the EML.

• Indications: These drugs are used as glucose-lowering therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and obesity.
• Scientific Rationale: Evidence showed their effectiveness in controlling glucose, reducing weight, and improving cardio-metabolic health.

Global Health Challenge

• Diabetes Burden: Over 800 million people worldwide live with diabetes; half go untreated (WHO, 2022).
• Obesity Burden: More than one billion people globally suffer from obesity, with rising rates in low- and middle-income countries.
• Urgency: WHO cited diabetes and obesity as two of the most urgent health challenges of the present era.

Diabetes in India

• India has an estimated 77 million adults (aged 18 and above) living with Type 2 diabetes, making it one of the largest diabetic populations in the world.
• In addition, nearly 25 million people are pre-diabetic, meaning they are at higher risk of developing diabetes in the near future.

WHO’s Essential Medicines List (EML)

• Establishment: First published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1977 with 208 medicines.
  • It is updated every two years by the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines.
• Objective: To ensure that all people have access to the most important medicines needed for addressing priority healthcare needs.
• Purpose
  • Serves as a guideline for countries to prepare their own national essential medicine lists.
  • Promotes equitable access, affordability, and rational use of medicines.
  • Supports governments in procurement, supply chain management, and health policy planning.
• Criteria for Inclusion
  • Public Health Relevance: The medicine must address a significant health need.
  • Efficacy and Safety: Supported by reliable evidence of effectiveness and acceptable risk profile.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Provides the best health outcomes relative to available resources.
• India’s Context: India has its own National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), aligned with the WHO EML, to prioritise procurement and regulate drug prices.

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