This strategy was developed by WHO country, regional, and headquarters staffworking in essential drugs and medicines policy, in consultation with other WHO programmes and with key development partners. It was then finalized in consultation with our full range of partners, including representatives from Member States (both donors and recipients), WHO Expert Committees, WHO Collaborating Centres, the wider UN family, nongovernmental organizations and other international organizations.

It covers country, regional, interregional and global work and builds on discussions held during the Interregional Meeting on the Biennial Review of the WHO Essential Drugs Strategy (29 and 30 June 1999) attended by country, regional and headquarters WHO staff serving in the medicines field. The meeting was followed by a series of video conferences between headquarters and regional offices, as well as conference calls with Member States and UN partners, during which drafts of the WHO Medicines Strategy 2000-2003 were reviewed.

WHO gratefully acknowledges the active participation and constructive comments received from members of the global extended medicines family including:

WHO Country Offices: Indonesia (K. Timmermans), Kenya (C. Ondari), Maldives (A. Tamir), Nepal (B. Khakurel), Nicaragua (P. Lamy) and South Africa (W. Bannenberg).

WHO Regional Offices: AFRO (M. Chisale, O. Kasilo, S. Muziki), AMRO/PAHO (R. D'Alessio), EMRO (P. Graaff, E. Abou Youssef), EURO (K. de Joncheere, P. Troullier), SEARO (K. Shein), WPRO (K. Chen, B. Santoso).

WHO Headquarters (Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy): G. Baghdadi, R. Balocco-Matavelli, K. Bremer, E. Carandang, C. Common, M. Couper, A. Creese, M. Demesmaeker, C. Encrenaz, M. Everard, G. Forte, D. Fresle, R. Gray, V. Habiyambere, J. Hetzke, H.V. Hogerzeil, K. Holloway, K. Hurst, K. Kimura, S. Kopp-Kubel, Y. Maruyama, C. Mone, K. Morimoto, J.D. Quick, L. Rägo, V. Reggi, F. Renaud-Théry, J. Sawyer, M. Schmid, M. Sesay, G. Velasquez, E. Wondemagegnehu, J. Yoshida, T. Yoshida and X. Zhang.

WHO Headquarters (other programmes): O. Adams (EIP/OSD), A. Alwan (NMH/NCP), H. Bathija (FCH/RHR), P. Berckmans (EIP/OSD), M. Bosman (CDS/STB), A. Cassels (DGO), P. Evans (GMG/IIS), E. Griffiths (HTP/VAB), D. Heymann (CDS), X. Leus (SDE/EHA), A. Marquez (CDS/CPE), J. Martin (SDE/HSD), J. Martines (FCH/CAH), J. Milstien (HTP/VAB), M. Neira (CDS/CPE), E. Ollila (FCH/RHR), B. Saraceno (NMH/MNH), M. Scholtz (DGO), B. Shengalia (SDE/HSD), I. Smith (CDS/STB), H. Troedsson (FCH/CAH), E. Van Praag (FCH/HSI), M. Wheeler (SDE/HSD), M. Zaffran (HTP/VAB) and C. Zielinski (consultant to HTP).

Member States: Australia (K. Kutch), Barbados (M. Hinds), Colombia (M. Calderon Ortiz), Denmark (P. Rockhold), France (P. Bouscharain), Iran (M. Cheraghali), Myanmar (U. Min Swe), The Netherlands (H. Van Schooten), Norway (M. Andrew), Saudi Arabia (A. Eldriss), Sweden (T. Flakenberg, A. Nordstrom), United Kingdom (P. Saunders), United States (S. Bacheller, A. Boni, S. Nightingale, T. Novotny, M.L. Valdez, L. Vogel), Vietnam (L. Van Truyen).

Interagency Pharmaceutical Coordination Group (IPC) and other international agencies including: Euro Health Group (B. Trap), IFPMA (H. Bale), UNICEF (H. Bak Pedersen), UNAIDS (J. Perriens), WSMI (J. Reinstein).

WHO Collaborating Centres: Boston University School of Public Health (R. Laing), Centre for Clinical Pharmacology & Drug Policy Studies, Yogyakarta (S. Suryawati), Division of International Health, Karolinska Institute (G. Tomson), Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro (J. Bermudez), National Poison Centre, University of Malaysia (A. R. Dzulkifli).

WHO Expert Committees and Panels: D. Birkett, P. Folb, T. Guoshi, M. Murray, M.M. Reidenberg, W. Wieniawski, S. Wibulpolprasert.

Others: S. Burgaz, N. Gasman, K. Weerasuriya.

Additionally, E. Carandang, M. Everard, D. Fresle, H. Hogerzeil, L. Rägo, V. Reggi, E. Wondemagegnehu and T. Yoshida helped write sections of the strategy relating to their areas of expertise.

G. Baghdadi, J.D. Quick and J. Sawyer were the editors for the strategy. E. Carandang provided all the data relating to the country progress indicators. M. Renevier and C. Weilhammer provided secretarial support. M. Renevier also created the figures.