Updating the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines to promote global access to the most cost-effective and safe medicines for mental disorders

Since 1977, the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) have been a benchmark to guide the procurement of medicines at the national level, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. Aiming to include the most effective, safe, and cost-effective medicines for priority conditions, WHO updates the EML for adults and the EML for children every 2 years. Over the past 45 years, updates to the EML mental health section have been infrequent, in most cases with additions of individual medicines. A comprehensive revision of the entire section has never been attempted. With the aim of increasing the use of the WHO EML to expand the selection of the most effective and safe medicines for mental disorders, a series of evidence-based applications were submitted to the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines in 2022, recommending a substantial revision of the entire mental health section. In this Health Policy, we summarise the recommended update and the evidence justifying it. We also discuss challenges in the update process, suggesting possible solutions. The requested comprehensive revision of the WHO EML mental health section aligns the list with the latest evidence. The revision offers an opportunity for countries to promote access to the most effective, safe, and cost-effective medicines for mental disorders, contributing to universal health coverage and global mental health equity.