India adds more cancer, HIV/AIDS drugs to essential medicines list
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MUMBAI: India has revised its list of essential medicines to add drugs for diseases ranging from cancer and HIV/AIDS to hepatitis C, in a move aimed at making them more affordable.
The update to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is just the third since it was compiled in 1996.
It increased the list to 376 medicines from 348 and includes drugs ranging from analgesics and antivirals to contraceptives, cardiovascular and anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Reuters reported in April that more HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis medicines were likely to be added to list.
"The NLEM 2015 has been prepared adhering to the basic principles of efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness; consideration of diseases as public health problems in India," a notice on the website said.
India had been criticised because the former list left out some life-saving drugs.
The new list takes cues from the World Health Organisation's 2015 list of essential drugs, which the United Nations agency defines as those that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of people and ensure affordability.
The update to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is just the third since it was compiled in 1996.
It increased the list to 376 medicines from 348 and includes drugs ranging from analgesics and antivirals to contraceptives, cardiovascular and anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Reuters reported in April that more HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis medicines were likely to be added to list.
"The NLEM 2015 has been prepared adhering to the basic principles of efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness; consideration of diseases as public health problems in India," a notice on the website said.
India had been criticised because the former list left out some life-saving drugs.
The new list takes cues from the World Health Organisation's 2015 list of essential drugs, which the United Nations agency defines as those that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of people and ensure affordability.
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