A medical instrument may be an article

device, or machine used to prevent, diagnose, or treat illness or disease, or to detect, measure, restore, correct, or modify the structure or function of the body for some health purpose. Typically, the purpose of a medical device is not achieved by pharmacological, immunological, or metabolic means. The Biomedical and Health Instruments Program in the Eastern Mediterranean Region was established in 2009 to deal with all issues related to the assessment and management of health technology, especially medical instruments.

The program aims to support countries at all stages of the health technology life cycle

 including assessment, prioritization of needs, procurement and donation management, installation and training, maintenance and disposal of tools. Sustainable access to essential medical tools and health technologies remains a major challenge in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Failure to consider appropriate selection of biomedical technology and maintenance budget are serious issues. With a few notable exceptions, national regulatory institutions remain fragmented and inadequate and private sector regulation ineffective.