The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children (aka Essential Medicines List for Children or EMLc), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe in children up to twelve years of age to meet the most important needs in a health system.
The list is divided into core items and complementary items. The core items are deemed to be the most cost-effective options for key health problems and are usable with little additional health care resources. The complementary items either require additional infrastructure such as specially trained health care providers or diagnostic equipment or have a lower cost–benefit ratio.
The first list for children was created in 2007, and the list is in its 8th edition as of 2021.
Note: An α indicates a medicine is only on the complementary list.
Anaesthetics, preoperative medicines and medical gases
General anaesthetics and oxygen
Inhalational medicines
Injectable medicines
Local anaesthetics
Preoperative medication and sedation for short-term procedures
Medical gases
Medicines for pain and palliative care
Non-opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIMs)
- Ibuprofen
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
Opioid analgesics
Medicines for other symptoms common in palliative care
- Amitriptyline
- Cyclizine
- Dexamethasone
- Diazepam
- Docusate sodium
- Fluoxetine
- Hyoscine hydrobromide
- Lactulose
- Midazolam
- Ondansetron
- Senna
Antiallergics and medicines used in anaphylaxis
- Dexamethasone
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Hydrocortisone
- Loratadine
- Prednisolone
Antidotes and other substances used in poisonings
Non-specific
Specific
- Acetylcysteine
- Atropine
- Calcium gluconate
- Naloxone
- Deferoxamine
- Dimercaprol
- Fomepizole
- Sodium calcium edetate
- Succimer
Anticonvulsants/antiepileptics
- Carbamazepine
- Diazepam
- Lamotrigine
- Lorazepam
- Midazolam
- Phenobarbital
- Phenytoin
- Valproic acid (sodium valproate)
- Ethosuximide
- Valproic acid (sodium valproate)
Anti-infective medicines
Anthelminthics
Intestinal anthelminthics
Antifilarials
Antischistosomals and other antinematode medicines
Cysticidal medicines
Antibacterials
Access group antibiotics
- Amikacin
- Amoxicillin
- Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid)
- Ampicillin
- Benzathine benzylpenicillin
- Benzylpenicillin
- Cefalexin
- Cefazolin
- Chloramphenicol
- Clindamycin
- Cloxacillin
- Doxycycline
- Gentamicin
- Metronidazole
- Nitrofurantoin
- Phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V)
- Procaine benzylpenicillin
- Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim)
- Trimethoprim
Watch group antibiotics
- Azithromycin
- Cefixime
- Cefotaxime
- Ceftriaxone
- Cefuroxime
- Ciprofloxacin
- Clarithromycin
- Piperacillin/tazobactam (piperacillin + tazobactam)
- Vancomycin
- Ceftazidime
- Meropenem
- Vancomycin
Reserve group antibiotics
Reserve antibiotics are last-resort antibiotics. The EML antibiotic book was published in 2022.
Antileprosy medicines
Antituberculosis medicines
- Ethambutol
- Isoniazid
- Isoniazid/pyrazinamide/rifampicin (isoniazid + pyrazinamide + rifampicin)
- Isoniazid/rifampicin (isoniazid + rifampicin)
- Isoniazid/rifapentine (isoniazid + rifapentine)
- Pyrazinamide
- Rifampicin
- Rifapentine
- Amikacin
- Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid)
- Bedaquiline
- Clofazimine
- Cycloserine
- Delamanid
- Ethionamide
- Levofloxacin
- Linezolid
- Meropenem
- Moxifloxacin
- P-aminosalicylic acid
- Streptomycin
Antifungal medicines
- Amphotericin B
- Fluconazole
- Flucytosine
- Griseofulvin
- Itraconazole
- Nystatin
- Voriconazole
- Micafungin
- Potassium iodide
Antiviral medicines
Antiherpes medicines
Antiretrovirals
Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Protease inhibitors
Integrase inhibitors
Fixed-dose combinations of antiretroviral medicines
- Isoniazid/pyridoxine/sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (isoniazid + pyridoxine + sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim)
Other antivirals
Antihepatitis medicines
Medicines for hepatitis B
Nucleoside/Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Medicines for hepatitis C
Pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral combinations
- Daclatasvir
- Daclatasvir/sofosbuvir (daclatasvir + sofosbuvir)
- Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (glecaprevir + pibrentasvir)
- Sofosbuvir
- Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (sofosbuvir + velpatasvir)
Non-pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral combinations
No listings in this section.
Other antivirals for hepatitis C
No listings in this section.
Antiprotozoal medicines
Antiamoebic and antigiardiasis medicines
Antileishmaniasis medicines
Antimalarial medicines
For curative treatment
- Amodiaquine
- Artemether
- Artemether/lumefantrine (artemether + lumefantrine)
- Artesunate
- Artesunate/amodiaquine (artesunate + amodiaquine)
- Artesunate/mefloquine (artesunate + mefloquine)
- Artesunate/pyronaridine tetraphosphate (artesunate + pyronaridine tetraphosphate)
- Chloroquine
- Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine phosphate (dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine phosphate)
- Doxycycline
- Mefloquine
- Primaquine
- Quinine
- Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (sulfadoxine + pyrimethamine)
For chemoprevention
- Amodiaquine + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (Co-packaged)
- Chloroquine
- Doxycycline
- Mefloquine
- Proguanil
- Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (sulfadoxine + pyrimethamine)
Antipneumocystosis and antitoxoplasmosis medicines
Antitrypanosomal medicines
African trypanosomiasis
1st stage
2nd stage
American trypanosomiasis
Medicines for ectoparasitic infections
Antimigraine medicines
For treatment of acute attack
For prophylaxis
Immunomodulators and Antineoplastics
Immunomodulators for non-malignant disease
Antineoplastic and supportive medicines
Cytotoxic medicines
- Arsenic trioxide
- Asparaginase
- Bleomycin
- Calcium folinate
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cytarabine
- Dacarbazine
- Dactinomycin
- Daunorubicin
- Doxorubicin
- Etoposide
- Fluorouracil
- Hydroxycarbamide
- Ifosfamide
- Irinotecan
- Mercaptopurine
- Methotrexate
- Oxaliplatin
- Paclitaxel
- Pegaspargase
- Procarbazine
- Realgar/Indigo naturalis
- Tioguanine
- Vinblastine
- Vincristine
- Vinorelbine
Targeted therapies
Immunomodulators
Hormones and antihormones
Supportive medicines
Medicines affecting the blood
Antianaemia medicines
Medicines affecting coagulation
Other medicines for haemoglobinopathies
Blood products of human origin and plasma substitutes
Blood and blood components
Plasma-derived medicines
Human immunoglobulins
Blood coagulation factors
Plasma substitutes
Cardiovascular medicines
Antianginal medicines
No listings in this section.
Antiarrhythmic medicines
No listings in this section.
Antihypertensive medicines
Medicines used in heart failure
Antithrombotic medicines
No listings in this section.
Lipid-lowering agents
No listings in this section.
Dermatological medicines (topical)
Antifungal medicines
Anti-infective medicines
Anti-inflammatory and antipruritic medicines
Medicines affecting skin differentiation and proliferation
Scabicides and pediculicides
Diagnostic agents
Ophthalmic medicines
Radiocontrast media
Disinfectants and antiseptics
Antiseptics
Disinfectants
Diuretics
Gastrointestinal medicines
Antiulcer medicines
Antiemetic medicines
Anti-inflammatory medicines
No listings in this section.
Laxatives
No listings in this section.
Medicines used in diarrhoea
- Oral rehydration salts + zinc sulfate (Co-packaged)
Oral rehydration
Medicines for diarrhoea
Medicines for endocrine disorders
Adrenal hormones and synthetic substitutes
Androgens
No listings in this section.
Estrogens
No listings in this section.
Progestogens
No listings in this section.
Medicines for diabetes
Insulins
Oral hypoglycaemic agents
Medicines for hypoglycaemia
Thyroid hormones and antithyroid medicines
Immunologicals
Diagnostic agents
- Tuberculin, purified protein derivative (PPD)
Sera and immunoglobulins
- Anti-rabies virus monoclonal antibodies
- Antivenom immunoglobulin
- Diphtheria antitoxin
- Equine rabies immunoglobulin
Vaccines
Recommendations for all
- BCG vaccine
- Diphtheria vaccine
- Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- HPV vaccine
- Measles vaccine
- Pertussis vaccine
- Pneumococcal vaccine
- Poliomyelitis vaccine
- Rotavirus vaccine
- Rubella vaccine
- Tetanus vaccine
Recommendations for certain regions
Recommendations for some high-risk populations
- Cholera vaccine
- Dengue vaccine
- Hepatitis A vaccine
- Meningococcal meningitis vaccine
- Rabies vaccine
- Typhoid vaccine
Recommendations for immunization programmes with certain characteristics
Muscle relaxants (peripherally-acting) and cholinesterase inhibitors
Ophthalmological preparations
Anti-infective agents
Anti-inflammatory agents
Local anaesthetics
Miotics and antiglaucoma medicines
No listings in this section.
Mydriatics
- Atropine
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) preparations
No listings in this section.
Medicines for reproductive health and perinatal care
Contraceptives
No listings in this section.
Ovulation inducers
No listings in this section.
Uterotonics
No listings in this section.
Antioxytocics (tocolytics)
No listings in this section.
Other medicines administered to the mother
No listings in this section.
Medicines administered to the neonate
Peritoneal dialysis solution
- Intraperitoneal dialysis solution (of appropriate composition)
Medicines for mental and behavioural disorders
Medicines used in psychotic disorders
Medicines used in mood disorders
Medicines used in depressive disorders
Medicines used in bipolar disorders
No listings in this section.
Medicines for anxiety disorders
No listings in this section.
Medicines used for obsessive compulsive disorders
No listings in this section.
Medicines for disorders due to psychoactive substance use
No listings in this section.
Medicines acting on the respiratory tract
Antiasthmatic medicines
- Budesonide
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Salbutamol (albuterol)
Solutions correcting water, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances
Oral
Parenteral
- Glucose
- Glucose with sodium chloride
- Potassium chloride
- Sodium chloride
- Sodium hydrogen carbonate
- Sodium lactate, compound solution
Miscellaneous
Vitamins and minerals
- Ascorbic acid
- Cholecalciferol
- Iodine
- Multiple micronutrient powder
- Pyridoxine
- Retinol
- Riboflavin
- Thiamine
- Calcium gluconate
Ear, nose and throat medicines
Medicines for diseases of joints
Medicines used to treat gout
No listings in this section.
Disease-modifying agents used in rheumatoid disorders
Juvenile joint diseases
Dental preparations
Further reading
- World Health Organization (2015). The selection and use of essential medicines. Twentieth report of the WHO Expert Committee 2015 (including 19th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and 5th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/189763. ISBN 9789240694941. ISSN 0512-3054. WHO technical report series; no. 994.
- World Health Organization (2017). The selection and use of essential medicines: report of the WHO Expert Committee, 2017 (including the 20th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and the 6th Model List of Essential Medicines for Children). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/259481. ISBN 978-92-4-121015-7. ISSN 0512-3054. WHO technical report series; no. 1006.
- World Health Organization (2019). The selection and use of essential medicines: report of the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, 2019 (including the 21st WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and the 7th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/330668. ISBN 9789241210300. ISSN 0512-3054. WHO technical report series;1021.