Meeting Report: Technical Definitions of Shortages and Stockouts of Medicines and Vaccines

Overview

In response to World Health Assembly resolution WHA69.25, “Addressing the Global Shortage of Medicines and Vaccines”, an informal consultation of experts was convened in Rome on 5 October 2016. The meeting took place at the World Food Programme offices and preceded a quarterly meeting of the Inter-Agency Supply Chain Group (ISG). Meeting participants were from the ISG, industry, Member States as well as individual experts.

The purpose of the meeting was to develop technical definitions of shortages and stockouts of medicines and vaccines, as requested in the resolution.