Not available. The manuscript is an editorial communication. Keywords Medical devices • Health technologies • Healthcare access • COVID-19 • World Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization (WHO) constantly supports Member States to improve global access to health products, including medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical imaging and implantable technologies. True to its mission of promoting universal health coverage and well-being for all, WHO's work on health technologies includes the development of policy guidance, norms and standards, the selection of priority and essential products, the development of technical specifications for procurement and guidance on the management and use of medical devices, and the assessment and promotion of emerging innovative technologies for resource-limited settings [1][2][3][4][5]. This editorial highlights and compiles the key elements of the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which supplemented the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, with a special emphasis on medical equipment and health technology.To ensure improved healthcare access on a national and global scale, national governments, procurement and regulatory agencies, intergovernmental and international organizations must prioritize the selection and procurement of medical devices for high-burden health conditions, including COVID-19. To this purpose, WHO developed normative guidance for Member States by developing lists of Priority Medical Devices (PMDs), with a particular focus on lowresource settings. These lists aim to assist countries in developing or updating national health technology policies based * Nicolò Binello