Co-Founder at CEMA Selected for WHO Expert Committee
Dr. Loice Achieng Ombajo, a co-founder and senior research scientist at the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis at the University of Nairobi, has been selected to serve on the 24th Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Expert Committee is responsible for updating the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, which serves as a guide for countries in determining which medicines should be available to their populations. The Committee reviews scientific evidence on the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of medicines and makes recommendations to the WHO on which medicines should be included on the List.
Loice who heads the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital and is chair of the KNH antimicrobial stewardship committee at the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Interagency Technical Committee, brings a wealth of experience in the field of antimicrobial resistance to the Committee. She has co-founded the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis at the University of Nairobi, and has conducted research on the prevalence and mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobial drugs, and has published several papers on the topic.
"I am honored to have been selected to serve on this important Committee," said Dr. Loice Ombajo. "I believe that access to essential medicines is a fundamental right, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the WHO Model List reflects the latest scientific evidence and meets the needs of patients around the world."
The 24th Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines will meet from 7-11 June 2023 at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Committee's recommendations will be published in the 24th Model List of Essential Medicines, which is expected to be released in early 2024.
For more information on the Expert Committee, visit the WHO website at https://www.who.int/groups/expert-committee-on-selection-and-use-of-essential-medicines/24th-eml-expert-committee.