WHO Model List

Essential medicines

30 medicines from the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (2025 edition): indications, forms, ATC code and antibiotic classification, from the WHO public records.

10.1. Antianaemia medicines

• ferrous salt + folic acid Iron deficiency anaemia; Spina bifida; Anencephaly or similar anomalies; Clefts of lip, alveolus or palate.

12.3. Antihypertensive medicines

• amlodipine Essential hypertension.
• enalapril Essential hypertension; Heart failure.
• hydrochlorothiazide Essential hypertension; Heart failure; Oedema.

12.6. Lipid-lowering agents

• simvastatin Mixed hyperlipidaemia; Coronary atherosclerosis; Polycystic ovary syndrome.

17.1. Antiulcer medicines

• omeprazole Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; Peptic ulcer, site unspecified; Gastrointestinal bleeding.

17.5.1 Oral rehydration

• oral rehydration salts Diarrhoea (and other specified disorders of fluid, electrolyte or acid-base balance).

17.5.2 Medicines for diarrhoea

• zinc sulfate Diarrhoea.

18.5.1. Insulins

• insulin (human, short-acting) Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

18.5.2. Hypoglycaemic agents

• gliclazide Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• metformin Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

2.1 Non-opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIMs)

• ibuprofen Pain; acute migraine attacks; patent arterial duct (neonates).
• paracetamol (acetaminophen) Pain; acute migraine attacks.

22.3. Uterotonics

• oxytocin Postpartum haemorrhage.

25.1. Antiasthmatic and medicines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• beclometasone Asthma.
• salbutamol Asthma; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

3. Antiallergics and medicines used in anaphylaxis

• prednisolone Allergic or hypersensitivity conditions of unspecified type; Scleritis; Anterior uveitis; Adrenocortical insufficiency; Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias; Infantile spasms; Follicular lymphoma, Lymphoid leukaemia, not elsewhere classified, Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, Hodgkin lymphoma, Unspecified malignant neoplasms of unspecified sites, Burkitt lymphoma including Burkitt leukaemia, Plasma cell myeloma, Malignant neoplasms of prostate, Ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease site, Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-positive, Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (complementary list).

6.1.1 Intestinal anthelminthics

• albendazole Echinococcosis, cysticercosis, ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm diseases, enterobiasis and lymphatic filariasis.

6.1.1. Intestinal anthelminthics

• ivermectin Strongyloidiasis; Onchocerciasis; Ascariasis; Trichuriasis; Ancylostomiasis; Hookworm diseases; Lymphatic filariasis; Scabies.

6.1.3. Antischistosomals and other antitrematode medicines

• praziquantel Schistosomiasis; Taeniasis due to Taenia solium; Paragonimiasis; Clonorchiasis; Opisthorchiasis; Taeniasis due to Taenia saginata; Hymenolepiasis; Diphyllobothriasis; Cysticercosis of central nervous system (complementary list).

6.2.1 Access group antibiotics

• amoxicillin Access Acute pharyngitis, acute otitis media, acute sinusitis, periapical abscess, COPD with acute exacerbation, bacterial pneumonia, acute malnutrition in children, sepsis without septic shock; second choice for bacterial meningitis.
• amoxicillin + clavulanic acid Access Bacterial pneumonia, acute sinusitis, COPD with acute exacerbation, infectious cystitis, cellulitis/erysipelas, peritonitis and peritoneal abscess, low-risk neutropaenia, acute otitis media, bone and joint infections, prophylaxis; multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (antituberculosis section).
• doxycycline Access Cholera and Chlamydia trachomatis infection; second choice for community-acquired pneumonia and COPD exacerbation; treatment, chemoprevention and chemoprophylaxis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
• metronidazole Access Intestinal infections due to Clostridioides difficile, trichomoniasis, necrotising fasciitis, amoebiasis.
• sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim Access Infectious cystitis; second choice for infectious gastroenteritis or colitis; pneumocystosis.

6.2.2 Watch group antibiotics

• azithromycin Watch Yaws, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, cholera, trachoma, typhoid and paratyphoid fever; second choice for infectious gastroenteritis or colitis.
• ciprofloxacin Watch Infectious gastroenteritis or colitis, low-risk neutropaenia, acute pyelonephritis, prostate disease, typhoid and paratyphoid fever; second choice for cholera, peritonitis and peritoneal abscess; external ear infections (drops).

6.5.3.1 Antimalarial medicines > Medicines for curative treatment

• artemether + lumefantrine Malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
• artesunate Malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
• sulfadoxine + pyrimethamine Curative treatment of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, and malaria chemoprevention.

Where these pages come from

Each page reproduces the medicine’s public record in the WHO electronic Essential Medicines List (eEML), linked at the bottom. French and Arabic translations are by Le Territoire Médical.

AWaRe is the WHO antibiotic classification: Access (first choice, widely available), Watch (to be monitored, higher resistance risk), Reserve (last resort).