Table 1

Inclusion of fludrocortisone and hydrocortisone in the 22 NEMLs from WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region countries and Algeria available for review

Countries/territoriesGNI (US$)Most recent edition of NEML (year)Oral fludrocortisoneOral hydrocortisoneInjectable hydrocortisone
Low-income group
 Somalia3102020NoNoYes
 Afghanistan5002014NoNoYes
 Sudan6502019NoYesYes
 Yemen940*2009NoNoYes
 Syrian Arab Republic1820*2019NoNoYes
Lower-middle-income group
 Pakistan†12802018YesYesYes
 Iran (Islamic Republic of)28702009YesYesYes
 Morocco29802021 (ongoing)NoYesYes
 Egypt (Arab Republic)30002018–2019YesYesYes
 Tunisia31002021 (online)YesYesYes
 Djibouti33202007NoNoYes
 Algeria35502019NoYesYes
 Occupied Territory of Palestine37102021 (ongoing)YesYesYes
Upper-middle-income group
 Jordan43102011YesYesYes
 Iraq46602010YesYesYes
 Libya48502019YesYesYes
 Lebanon55102018NoYesYes
High-income group
 Oman14 150*2016YesYesYes
 Saudi Arabia21 9302018YesYes ‡Yes
 Bahrain22 170*2015YesYesYes
 Kuwait§33 290*WHO EMLYesYesYes
 United Arab Emirates43 470*2021YesYesYes
 Qatar56 2102021 (ongoing)NoYesYes
  • *Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (Atlas Method23 was last updated in 2020, except for the Syrian Arab Republic (2007), Yemen (2018) and Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and United Arab Emirates (2019).

  • †Hydrocortisone tablets are not included in the most recent NEML for Pakistan, but they are now readily available and are expected to be included in the next edition.

  • ‡Hydrocortisone is not included in the most recent NEML for Saudi Arabia, but it is included in the registration database. This will be updated in the next edition of the NEML.

  • §Kuwait uses the WHO EML but is considering the development of a NEML.35

  • NEML, National List of Essential Medicines.