Regional Workshop on Essential Diagnostics

Ensuring the availability, accessibility, affordability, and quality of diagnostics is essential to delivering universal health coverage (UHC). However, less than 1 in 5 people in low-income and lower-middle-income countries have access to even simple diagnostics tests (outside of HIV and malaria programs). 

Laboratory and imaging services in resource poor countries tend to be fragmented, duplicated, and lacking in standards and oversight. In many countries, laboratory and imaging budgets are not funded within the public health system and are often inadequate. In these locations, clinicians have inadequate access to the basic tests necessary for accurate diagnosis of common health problems in primary care. This in turn leads to diagnostic and treatment errors, delayed referral, worsened antimicrobial resistance, and increased morbidity and mortality. 

WHO has developed and maintains the Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL), which countries can use to develop their own national EDL. To help facilitate those efforts, a Regional Workshop on Improving Access to Essential Diagnostics with particular focus on Primary Health Care was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 13-14 September, 2023.