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Which are the key medical devices for primary

health care services

11 HORA PASA , 7 DI AUGUSTUS 2019 11:39
SECCION: SALUD

Which are the key medical devices for primary health care services
PAHO has updated its list to focus on health problems that generate the greatest disease
burden. The list includes 208 medical devices for general care, and now also includes others for

dental care, diagnostic imaging and laboratory practices.

Washington, DC, 7 August 2019 (PAHO)- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
recently published the updated version of the List of Priority Medical Devices for the first level of
care. This aims to help countries in the Region of the Americas prioritize critical devices and
respond effectively to the main health issues faced by their population.

The devices range from clothing and personal protective equipment for health workers, to
instruments, supplies, solutions, reagents, medical gasses and furniture. It also includes
medical equipment such as infant scales, stethoscopes and vital signs monitors.

The list, which was updated in July, now includes supplementary lists for dental care, laboratory
practices and diagnostic imaging, according to the various treatments offered by primary health
care centers and depending on the organization of services in each country.

The total number of medical devices on the list now reaches 337, of which 208 belong to the

core list, 69 in the module for dental care, 30 in the module for diagnostic imaging, and 30 for
the laboratory practices module.

“This list serves as a reference for country health authorities to select devices according to the

needs of their populations,” said Analía Porrás. Head of the Medicines and Health Technologies
Unit at PAHO/WHO. “The list also aims to promote the rational use of these technologies in
order to ensure the efficient use of resources,” she added.

The list was prepared based on a review of WHO clinical practice guidelines on communicable
and noncommunicable diseases, nutrition, child health, mental health, women’s health, maternal

and reproductive health, and patient safety, among others. It was then validated by