Port of Spain, November 24, 2025 – The Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), held a two-day workshop to advance the update of the National Essential Medicines List (NEML). The activity was facilitated by experts from PAHO/WHO’s Department of Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT/AH), along with specialists from the WHO Collaborating Center CUFAR – National University of La Plata (Argentina), who provided technical assistance to strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
The Honorable Dr. Lackram Bodoe, Minister of Health, opened the workshop by emphasizing the government’s responsibility to ensure that medicines authorized for national use remain updated, cost-effective, relevant, and aligned with international best practices. The Minister expressed gratitude for PAHO’s ongoing support and acknowledged the active participation of clinical specialists, pharmacists, and representatives from the five Regional Health Authorities, who contributed to the technical analysis of the national formulary.
Over the two days, participants worked on applying international criteria for the inclusion, exclusion, and review of medicines, using methodologies such as the PICO approach to formulate clinical questions, structured evidence searches, benefit-risk assessments, and the GRADE EtD framework to support recommendations. This process enabled progress in identifying priority medicines and drafting proposals for updating the list, with special attention to public health impact and health system sustainability.
Dr. Gabriel Vivas Francesconi, PAHO/WHO Representative in Trinidad and Tobago and the Dutch Caribbean, reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to continue supporting the country in the next phases, including the final review of prioritized medicines, harmonization with global recommendations, and strengthening the evaluation and governance processes of the National Selection Committee. The Ministry of Health will proceed with the established steps toward publishing the updated list, a key instrument for improving equitable access to essential medicines in the country.
