The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund have completed a plan to expand access to essential pediatric medicines in developing countries.
Completed in a meeting last month of government officials and leaders of nongovernment organizations, the plan will target medicine for conditions such as diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, respiratory tract infections, malaria, and pneumonia.
A top priority will be to expand access to combination therapies to aid correct use and adherence.
Priority needs are respiratory infections, neonatal care, pain relief for end-stage AIDS, and coinfection of HIV and tuberculosis.
The plan also emphasizes new formulations, including minitablets, replacement of injections with pain-free medications, better-tasting formulations, and refrigeration-free and easily transportable mixtures.
“Too often, the right medicines for children, in the right dosages and formulations, are missing from the spectrum of available treatment options,” said Dr. Howard Zucker, assistant director-general at WHO.
“WHO and UNICEF will work quickly with partners to change this,” Dr. Zucker said.