The 2001 World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on the WHO medicines strategy (WHA 54.11) identified the four main objectives of WHO’s medicines strategy, namely, to frame and implement policy; to ensure access; to ensure quality, safety and efficacy; and to promote the rational use of medicines. To monitor the progress of efforts to improve the global medicines situation, WHO has developed a system of indicators that measure key aspects of a country’s pharmaceutical situation. One set of these tools is the Level I indicators, which measure the existence and performance of key national pharmaceutical structures and processes. These indicators assess progress in improving the pharmaceutical situation over time and enable comparison between the situation in countries by level of income.

This Fact Book gives the results of the assessment of Level I indicators conducted in 2007. Indicator data are grouped into six component topics. Comparisons are provided by income levels and by WHO Regions. The key points to note for each topic are introduced at the beginning of each section. Data and information are presented in tables and graphs for the current situation – result of 2007 Level I survey – and for some indicators, comparison of Level I indicators for 2003 and 2007 surveys are also shown to see whether there has been any progress...