WHO updates its List of Essential Diagnostics

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New Delhi, July 15, 2019 :

The WHO has updated its Essential Diagnostics List, in recognition of the critical, life-saving importance of finding out what is wrong with patients before it is too late. The updated List contains 46 general tests that can be used for routine patient care as well as for the detection and diagnosis of a wide array of disease conditions, and 69 tests for specific diseases.The List is divided into two sections depending on the user and setting: one for community settings, which includes self-testing; and a second one for clinical laboratories, which can be general and specialised facilities.

While the first list published in 2018 focused on a limited number of priority diseases, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis, this year, the list includes more non-communicable and communicable diseases.

• WHO has added 12 tests to detect a wide range of solid tumors such as colorectal, liver, cervical, prostate, breast and germ cell cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphomas. To support appropriate cancer diagnosis, a new section covering anatomical pathology testing was added

• The list focuses on additional infectious diseases prevalent in low- and middle-income countries such as cholera, and neglected diseases like leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and zika. A new section for influenza testing has been added for community health settings where no laboratories are available

• The list also includes additional general tests which address a range of different diseases and conditions, such as iron tests (for anemia) and tests to diagnose thyroid malfunction and sickle cell anemia, which is very widely present in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• The list has a new section specific to tests intended for screening of blood donations to make blood transfusions safer.