The World Health Organization (WHO) is organising an open online consultation in Europe to inform the update of the WHO Assistive Products Priority List (APL).
The APL is a model list, which was first published in 2016. It supports WHO Member States in strengthening access to assistive products through the establishment of national priority lists.
As part of the APL update process, WHO is hosting an online stakeholder consultation for the European region on Wednesday 11 June 2025 from 12pm-2pm BST. Register for the European consultation here.
The APL identifies priority assistive products for population need, including disabled people, older people, and people with injuries and health conditions. With over 2.5 billion people in need of assistive technology globally, this update ensures the APL reflects current needs, technologies, and evidence.
Importantly, the consultation is an opportunity for stakeholders to share feedback and have input on the preliminary updated APL.
The consultation also aims to inform stakeholders about the APL update process and help WHO understand stakeholder needs for resources and guidance to support national APL development and implementation.
Stakeholder feedback is critical to ensure the updated APL is relevant and responsive to real-world priorities, according to WHO.
During the consultation, attendees will listen to a two-hour online session with presentations, Q&A, and breakout discussions. There will be a follow-up survey to gather additional feedback. The consultation will feature live captioning in English.
WHO is also hosting six other global stakeholder consultations throughout June 2025.
WHO recently published a free guide that offers a practical framework to help countries and stakeholders improve access to assistive technology, through better understanding of assistive technology markets and targeted interventions to address market shortcomings.
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