Access to good quality, affordable, and appropriate health products is indispensable to advance universal health coverage, address health emergencies, and promote healthier populations. Without medical devices, common medical procedures – from bandaging a sprained ankle, to diagnosing HIV/AIDS, implanting an artificial hip or any surgical intervention – would not be possible. Medical devices are used in many diverse settings, for example, by laypersons at home, by paramedical staff and clinicians in remote clinics, by opticians and dentists and by health-care professionals in advanced medical facilities, for prevention and screening and in palliative care. Such health technologies are used to diagnose illness, to monitor treatments, to assist disabled people and to intervene and treat illnesses, both acute and chronic.

Today, there are an estimated 2 million different kinds of medical devices on the world market, categorized into more than 7000 generic devices groups.

A medical device can be any instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, appliance, implant, reagent for in vitro use, software, material or other similar or related article, intended by the manufacturer to be used, alone or in combination for a medical purpose.

Policies, strategies, and action plans for health technologies, specifically for medical devices, are required in any national health plan. Within the context of a robust health system they ensure access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices that prevent, diagnose, and treat disease and injury, and assist patients in their rehabilitation. WHO’s “Global Model Regulatory Framework for Medical Devices including in vitro diagnostic medical devices” supports Member States to develop and implement regulatory controls and regional guidelines for good manufacturing to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medical devices available in their countries. The Organization also works with Member States and collaborating centres to develop guidelines and tools, including norms and standards on medical devices. Additionally, WHO supports Member States in establishing mechanisms to assess national needs for health technologies in particular medical devices and to assure their availability and use, particularly in low-resource settings. A web-based health technologies database serves as a clearing house and provides countries guidance on appropriate medical devices according to levels of care, setting, environment, and intended health intervention, tailored to the specific needs of country or region.

have a health technology national policy that is part of the national health programme

do not have at least one computer tomography device per million inhabitants.

Accelerating impact of innovations for health

The power and potential of medical devices

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WHO Global Fora on Medical Devices

Member States recognized in World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions WHA60.29 (2007) and WHA 67.20 (2014) that medical devices are indispensable for health-care delivery but that their selection, regulation and use present enormous challenges, especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

In order to increase access to appropriate, safe, affordable, effective medical devices of quality for all; the WHO Medical Devices has enable the WHO Global Fora on Medical Devices. 

The WHO Global Fora on Medical Devices serve as opportunities to share WHO initiatives to support country needs towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Fora also serve as occasions to listen to regional and country activities on medical devices issues. The Fora present the WHO resources available to Member States in a range of topics concerning medical devices:

The programmes of the WHO Global Fora have include presentations on the a huge range of topics on medical devices and also help present WHO projects, initiatives, tools, resources and work in progress.

Fourth WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices

Third WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices

Second WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices

First WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices

WHO Medical Devices Technical Series

The "Medical Devices Technical Series (MDTS)" is a series of publications intended to increase access to medical devices. WHO developed this series that cover the following areas:

WHO releases new compendium of innovative health technologies for COVID-19 and other priority diseases

WHO launches List of Priority Medical Devices for management of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes

Webinar: Realizing equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies. WHO C-TAP’s progress, challenges and opportunities

Webinar: 2022 compendium of innovative health technologies for low resource settings

Webinar: Training videos for biomedical equipment for oxygen delivery systems

Global collaborations on Medical Devices

Collaboration is at the heart of all we do. Every day we connect nations, partners and experts so that we can go further, together. Our partners help support WHO’s scientific work and field programmes, contribute funding and resources, engage in our campaigns and programmes and join us in advocacy to bring policy and behaviour change for better health. Official collaborations with WHO are conducted in the following forms: