The application from UAEM to include a proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole) to the WHO essential medicines list is now posted. You can see the proposal for inclusion here.

Applications for other medicines are also posted here.

Special kudos and congrats to UAEMers Nicole Ramsey, Leanne Stratton, Becky Lambert and Sunny Kishore of Cornell and Matt Price of The Clinton Foundation/UAEM for driving this!

What is omeprazole?
Omeprazole is used along with two antibiotics (amoxicillin and metronidazole/clarithromycin) as part of triple therapy to eradicate Helicobacter pylori, a gut bacterium that drives ulcers and gastric cancers globally. Nearly half the world is infected with this bacterium. Note that one of the first-line antibiotics used in triple therapy, clarithromycin, is not on the essential medicines list — a gap that we were not able to address in time. A letter (but not an application) that highlights this gap accompanies the WHO petition for omeprazole.