WHO Medical Devices Newsletter

Here's the latest info shared by WHO's Adriana Velázquez regarding Medical Devices and the World Health Organization (March 2022).

Dear colleagues, hoping this message finds you safe and in good health. You can find: all past newsletters here; WHO medical devices information here; WHO in vitro diagnostics information here; WHO oxygen-related here; Health technology assessment page here.

Contents of the March 2022 Newsletter:

• World Health Day
• Information on recent events
• Call for consultants.

WHO COVID-19 Dashboard

Globally, as of 5:04 pm CEST, 30 March 2022, there have been 483,556,595 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,132,461 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 27 March 2022, a total of 11,054,362,790 vaccine doses have been administered.

Globally, as of 5:44 pm CET, 17 February 2022, there have been 416,614,051 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,844,097 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 15 February 2022, a total of 10,279,668,555 vaccine doses have been administered.

Globally, as of 4:42 pm CET, 20 January 2022, there have been 336,790,193 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,560,718 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 19 January 2022, a total of 9,571,502,663 vaccine doses have been administered.

World Health Day
Are we able to reimagine a world where clean air, water, and food are available to all? Where economies are focused on health and well-being? Where cities are liveable and people have control over their health and the health of the planet?

7 April 2022. Our planet, our health

Medevis V. 31-03-2022

The WHO Priority Medical Devices Information System (MeDevIS) keeps evolving: https://medevis.who-healthtechnologies.org/ 

New features are: an image of the device, links to ICD-11 clinical interventions, links to training material, links to technical specifications, service delivery platform, and health care units or departments where the device is commonly used, type of medical device, and around 100 medical devices include the mapping to 4 nomenclatures, as part of the pilot mapping project done in 2021.

Visit and send your comments to medicaldevices@who.int

Nomenclature of Medical Devices

During the Executive Board EB150 in January 2022, the following papers were discussed:

• EB150/14
• Standardization of medical devices nomenclature International classification, coding, and nomenclature of medical devices EB150/14 Add.1
• Standardization of medical devices nomenclature International classification, coding, and nomenclature of medical devices
  EB150/14 Add.2
• Financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of decisions proposed for adoption by the Executive Board
  

 With the following decision:
EB150(10)
Standardization of medical devices nomenclature

Today, a Member States information session took place. A second one is expected end of April, to discuss the decision, before the World Health Assembly 75 in May.

More information on the nomenclature, and on the intergovernmental events page.

Training

Training videos for Biomedical equipment were launched in a webinar on Monday, February 28th, 2022. Only one month and 4,849 learners have enrolled in this course!!

More information on the event page: Webinar: Training videos for biomedical equipment for oxygen delivery systems (who.int)

Training courses in OpenWHO https://openwho.org/pages/catalogues 

Respiratory equipment course COVID-19 respiratory equipment | OpenWHO  

Consultancy Open for 2022 Projects

WHO is looking for professional expertise in the following areas listed below.

The timeline requested for most projects is about 6 months, depending on the project, time is variable. No need to travel outside your own country.

Open to consultant companies, NGOs, WHO collaborating centers, and universities will be prioritized, but individual experts can also be considered.

Please note that the EOI that were received in January and February have been screened and shortlisted candidates have been interviewed; 6 contracts have been done and pending 4 contracts in the process.

For these new topics, please send an expression of interest (EOI) to medicaldevices@who.int by Thursday 7th of April 2022, attaching an updated CV of the provider and area of interest. Thank you.

Training videos for respiratory equipment (May-June 2022)

• Objective: Support the translation of videos to Spanish, French, Arab, Russian, and Chinese.
• Requirements: 
  • Academics (Post-Graduate Degree) 
  • Professional Experience (>7 Years) 
• WHO related information (important to review if selected): Webinar: Training videos for biomedical equipment for oxygen delivery systems (who.int)

Donations of Medical Devices (May-June 2022)

• Objective: To support the final edits for the publication of the updated guidance on donations of medical devices, to align with the recent updates of the Model Regulatory Framework for medical devices.
• Requirements: 
  • Academics (Post-Graduate Degree): Biomedical or clinical engineering or related fields.
  • Professional Experience (>7 Years): Expertise in donations, for LMIC, health technology management, and regulatory oversight. Expertise in LMIC is desirable.
• WHO related information (important to review if selected):  Medical device donations: considerations for solicitation and provision 1 June 2011, normative guidance https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241501408 

In-vitro Diagnostics mapping into the Universal Health Coverage Compendium. This was announced in February, the call is still open (initially May- June 2022, might be extended, for a total of 6 months)

• Objective: For the provision of support to the Essential in vitro Diagnostic List Secretariat for the ongoing mapping activities of IVD categories listed in the WHO Model list of essential in vitro diagnostics (WHO EDL) into the Universal Health Coverage Compendium (UHC-C) database and other IVDs as recommended by relevant WHO programs.
• Requirements: 
  • Academics (Post-Graduate Degree): Ideal candidate will be a clinical pathologist or clinical laboratory scientist, with hands-on experience performing POC tests and laboratory-based tests, preferably with a background in public health and familiar with the EDL. Capable of assessing listed interventions and actions in the UHC Compendium database and identifying the corresponding IVD test category from the EDL having into consideration the relevant characteristic of the IVD such as test purpose, assay format, and specimen type. She/he also needs to be able to propose additional laboratory equipment required to perform the tests. Other medical specialists with demonstrated experience in the use of laboratory tests (routine and specialty tests) and public health are also welcome to apply.
  • Professional Experience (>7 Years)
• WHO-related information (important to review if selected): https://www.who.int/universal-health-coverage/compendium | https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/assistive-and-medical-technology/medical-devices/selection-access-and-use-in-vitro | https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240019102 | https://edl.who-healthtechnologies.org/? 

Nomenclature of Medical Devices (6-8 months)

• Objective: To support the technical activities required by WHO secretariat to comply with the requests of Member States from EB150, and intercessional meetings towards the World Health Assembly WHA75.
• Requirements: 
  • Academics (Post-Graduate Degree): Biomedical, clinical engineer, health informatics, health systems or related fields
  • Professional Experience (>7 Years): Extensive expertise on nomenclature, unique device identifier, health databases, machine learning, classification, and coding systems of medical devices. Knowledge of uses in ministries of health, national lists, regulatory agencies, supply and procurement, managing medical equipment and other medical devices. The standardization of nomenclature was discussed during the WHO Executive Board on 24-29 January 2022. The documents related to the Executive Board 150 can be found here.

• WHO-related information (important to review if selected): https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/assistive-and-medical-technology/medical-devices/nomenclature | The standardization of nomenclature was discussed during the WHO Executive Board 150 on 29 January 2022, session 12, 9:10-12:30 am, Item 14 with the following decision EB150(10) Standardization of medical devices nomenclature

Global Atlas of Medical Devices (April- May 2022)

• Objective: To support the finalization of the publication and the organization and transfer of metadata from the Global Atlas to the World health Observatory.
• Requirements: 
  • Academics (Post-Graduate Degree): Statistician, data management, WHO projects. 
  • Professional Experience (>7 Years): Knowledge of the Global Health Observatory, medical devices global and regional indicators.

• WHO-related information (important to review if selected): https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/assistive-and-medical-technology/medical-devices/global-atlas-of-medical-devices | https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/availability-of-national-standards-or-recommended-lists-of-medical-devices 

 Please Stay safe, take care, get vaccinated when possible, and wear your PPE!

Many thanks for disseminating

Sincerely,

Adriana Velazquez Berumen, MSc. | Biomedical Clinical Engineer | Team Lead Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostics, MDD | Health Product Policy and Standards Department, HPS | Access to Medicines and Health Products Division, MHP | World Health Organization, WHO | Geneva, Switzerland

Email: velazquezberumena@who.int; medicaldevices@who.int   

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