Health products policy and standards

Our team provides authoritative guidance and standards on quality, safety and efficacy of health products and supports countries to formulate evidence-based policies and ensure good practice throughout the value chain.

About us

Highlights

Ministry of Health staff at their office in Port Vila

Events

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11 December 2025 10:00 – 16:30 CET

WHO, WIPO, WTO symposium on antimicrobial resistance, innovation, and access

Health Product Policy and Standards (HPS)

12 December 2025 11:30 – 12:45 UTC Time

Launch of WHO Learning on TAP

21 – 24 April 2026

82nd INN Consultation

21 April 2026 09:00 – 10:30 UTC Time

INN Session with INN stakeholders

News

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19 September 2025

Departmental update

WHO publishes full national policy guidance to support equitable access to controlled medicines

5 September 2025

News release

WHO updates list of essential medicines to include key cancer, diabetes treatments

11 July 2025

Departmental update

Public procurement as a key tool to tackle health issues discussed at WHO-WIPO-WTO webinar

Calls for

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24 June 2025

Call for submissions

Public notice and comments on the Technical Advisory Group on the use of digital technologies to enhance access to assistive technology

2 May 2025

Call for consultation

Call for public consultation - Defining the term “diagnostics”

2 May 2025

Call for experts

Call for Experts - Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Medical Devices (STAG MEDEV)

Expert Committees

Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines

Expert Committee on Biological Standardization

Expert Committee on Drug Dependence

Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations (ECSPP)

Advisory groups

Advisory Group for Blood Regulation, Availability and Safety

Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on In Vitro Diagnostics (SAGE IVD)

Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Medical Devices (STAG MEDEV)

Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Assistive Technology

Technical Advisory Group on Local Production and Technology Transfer

Technical Advisory Group on Pricing Policies for Medicines (TAG-PPM)

WHO Technical Advisory Group on the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool

Databases

Antibiotic characterization (AWaRe)

Assistive Technology Data Portal

ATC/DDD Index

International Pharmacopoeia

Model list of Essential Medicines

National Essential Medicines Lists

Model list of in Vitro Diagnostics

Priority Medical Devices Information System

ECDD Information repository

Medicine Prices and Other Market Information Sources

Publications

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Development of medical device policies, 2nd ed.

A first edition of the Development of Medical Devices Policies was published in 2011. This second edition was prepared to reflect the transition from the...

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Improving access to assistive technology in United Republic of Tanzania (2022-2023): project report

The report summarizes a collaboration between the Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania, HelpAge Tanzania and the World Health Organization...

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Enabling rapid access to essential assistive technology in Ukraine (2022-2023): project report

This report summarizes a collaboration between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 and 2023. The goal was...

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The Third issue of volume 39 for 2025 includes:Consultation Documents: Cefiderocol sulfate tosilate (cefiderocoli sulfas tosilatum) Cefiderocol powder...

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