Fourth WHO global forum on medical devices - report
AMTZ-Kalam convention centre, Visakhapatnam, India 13 to 15 December 2018
Overview
Member States recognized in World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions WHA60.29 (2007) and WHA 67.20 (2014) that medical devices are indispensable for health-care delivery but that their selection, regulation and use present enormous challenges, especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
Marking eleven years since the former resolution, the Fourth WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices served as an opportunity to share WHO initiatives to support country needs on the road to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Forum also served as an occasion to listen to regional and country activities on medical devices issues. The Forum presented the WHO resources available to Member States in the realm of medical devices nomenclature, innovation, selection and prioritization.
The programme of the Fourth WHO Global Forum included presentations on best practices, challenges and new tools for innovation, regulation, assessment and management of medical devices (including procurement, technical specifications, donations, maintenance and appropriate safe use), as well as lists of priority medical devices for emergencies and cancer diseases, and the work in progress on such lists for primary health care and cardiovascular diseases.
