WHO seeking latest medical technology for global challenges

The WHO is urgently looking for innovative medical devices to help tackle current global health concerns.

The technologies may already exist or may be under development, and should be accessible, appropriate and affordable for use in low- and middle-income countries.

The call for these devices comes amid concerns about HIV/AIDS, malaria, cancer and deficient maternal health.

Depressive disorders, alcohol-related illnesses, road traffic accidents and ischemic heart disease are also identified as priority global health concerns.

In its search for new technologies, the WHO is specifically looking for medical devices as defined by the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF).

They include instruments, medical equipment, implants, disposables, assistive devices and software, used mainly for the purpose of prevention, diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of disease.

The technologies can also be used for control of conception, rehabilitation, or measuring, restoring or correcting physiological functions.

These technologies may be commercialised or in a non-commercialised stage.

The call does not cover clinical procedures, medicinal products, vaccines, biological therapeutic products or tissue engineered medical products.

Manufacturers, institutions, universities, governments, individuals and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply, with numbers limited to one submission per applicant.

The application form should be completed in English, signed and e-mailed as a PDF document to medicaldevices [at] who.int.

Receipt of applications will be confirmed by e-mail.

The deadline for submission is 31 January 2010.

Please click here for further details.

[Photo: © European Communities, 1995-2009]