By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
GMJ NewsGMJ NewsGMJ News
  • Latest News
    • GMJ Briefs
  • The Wire
  • Health Topics
  • Podcast & Media
    • GMJ Audio
    • GMJ Videos
    • Podcast & Media
    • Podcast Episodes
  • GMJ Articles
    • Vol. 1 Issue 3 (2026)
    • Public Health Dictionary — Supplement Edition
    • IAP Legacy Series
    • Read Full Journal (gmj.ge) →
    • Pre-Launch Articles (2025)
    • Vol. 1 Issue 1 (2026)
    • Vol. 1 Issue 2 (2026)
  • Perspectives
    • Editorial
    • Explainers
    • Letters
    • Voices
  • Policy & Systems
    • Global Health
    • Health Policy
    • Migration & Health
    • Quality & Safety
    • Work & Health
  • Dictionary
    • Our Story: 20 Years in the Making
    • Browse A–Z
    • About the Project
    • Contribute a Term
  • Practice
    • Case Discussions
    • Clinical Updates
    • Pharmacy & Prescribing
  • Research Digest
    • Data & Numbers
    • Georgian Research
    • New Studies
  • Read the Journal →
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
GMJ NewsGMJ News
Font ResizerAa
  • Latest News
  • The Wire
  • Health Topics
  • Podcast & Media
  • GMJ Articles
  • Perspectives
  • Policy & Systems
  • Dictionary
  • Practice
  • Research Digest
  • Read the Journal →
  • Latest News
    • GMJ Briefs
  • The Wire
  • Health Topics
  • Podcast & Media
    • GMJ Audio
    • GMJ Videos
    • Podcast & Media
    • Podcast Episodes
  • GMJ Articles
    • Vol. 1 Issue 3 (2026)
    • Public Health Dictionary — Supplement Edition
    • IAP Legacy Series
    • Read Full Journal (gmj.ge) →
    • Pre-Launch Articles (2025)
    • Vol. 1 Issue 1 (2026)
    • Vol. 1 Issue 2 (2026)
  • Perspectives
    • Editorial
    • Explainers
    • Letters
    • Voices
  • Policy & Systems
    • Global Health
    • Health Policy
    • Migration & Health
    • Quality & Safety
    • Work & Health
  • Dictionary
    • Our Story: 20 Years in the Making
    • Browse A–Z
    • About the Project
    • Contribute a Term
  • Practice
    • Case Discussions
    • Clinical Updates
    • Pharmacy & Prescribing
  • Research Digest
    • Data & Numbers
    • Georgian Research
    • New Studies
  • Read the Journal →
Follow US
GMJ News > GMJ Briefs > Takeaway: Forty-eight years of WHO essential medicines: core drugs unchanged since 1977

Takeaway: Forty-eight years of WHO essential medicines: core drugs unchanged since 1977

GMJ
Last updated: 31/08/2026 13:29
By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Share
0 Min Read
WHO Essential Medicines List timeline 1977-2025 showing continuity in core medications
A 48-year analysis of WHO's Essential Medicines List reveals a stable "core subset" of medications present across all 24 editions from 1977 to 2025, demonstrating remarkable pharmaceutical consensus despite sweeping changes in global disease burden and healthcare innovation. — Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash (Unsplash License)
SHARE
1 min read|56 words

3 takeaways from WHO Essential Medicines List 1977–2025 analysis: 1️⃣ Core essential drugs have remained stable across all 24 list editions despite major shifts in disease burden. 2️⃣ The list expands to address new health needs while retaining proven interventions. 3️⃣ This stability provides evidence for equitable drug access policy in low- and middle-income countries.

Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom →

Was this article helpful?

GMJ Brief · Takeaway

📰 Read the full article: Forty-eight years of WHO essential medicines: core drugs unchanged since 1977 →

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Telegram Bluesky Copy Link Print
GMJ
ByProf. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Follow:
MD, MPH, PhD. Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ). Professor and Head, School of Public Health, David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU), Tbilisi, Georgia. Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). President, Accréditation Sans Frontières (ASF), Paris. Secretary/Treasurer, UEMS Section of Public Health. WHO Consultant, Health and Migration, Geneva. Former Member, UN Secretary-General's Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent (IAP-EWEC, 2016–2021). ORCID: 0000-0001-7609-4515.

Submit Your Paper →

Georgia's peer-reviewed open-access medical journal. No APC until January 2027.
Submit Manuscript →
A 68-Year-Old Man With Chest Pain: Diagnosing Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

A teaching case in The New England Journal of Medicine describes diagnostic…

Blood Pressure Drug Telmisartan Shown to Enhance Cancer Therapy Efficacy in Early Trials

Preclinical research reveals that telmisartan, a widely prescribed blood pressure medication, significantly…

Yale researchers identify protein pathways driving Parkinson’s disease spread in the brain

Yale researchers have identified two neuron surface proteins that mediate the spread…

Submit Your Paper to GMJ

No APC until January 2027.
Submit Manuscript →

You Might Also Like

Hospital building with medical cross symbol representing health care cost transparency initiative

Hospital Care Dominates US Health Spending at 31 Percent of 4.3 Trillion Dollar Annual Budget

By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
20/07/2026
Clinical UpdatesGlobal HealthPolicy & SystemsPractice

WHO Recommends Cross-Species Ebola Vaccine Trial Amid DRC Outbreak

By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
14/08/2026
Brain wave patterns showing alpha (calm focus) and beta (stress) waves, illustrating L-theanine's neurochemical effects

Three Mechanisms: How L-Theanine Supports Calm Alertness in Daily Practice

By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
24/08/2026
BIO 2026 conference attendees discussing artificial intelligence and federal biotech policy

Takeaway: AI Integration and Federal Policy Shape Biotech Industry Outlook at BIO 2026

By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
20/09/2026
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Company
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accreditation Canada in Georgia
  • GMJ Journal
  • Submit Manuscript
  • Editorial Team
  • Register at GMJ

Subscribe to GMJ News — Click here

Join Community
© 2026 Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ). Published by the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). All rights reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?