About the Unified Medical Dictionary

This fifth edition of the online multilingual Unified Medical Dictionary contains more than 200 000 clear and concise English–Arabic entries. Many of these entries are available also in French, German and Spanish. The dictionary provides users with access to search the most up-to-date and comprehensive medical terminology covering all aspects of medical science. The dictionary was first issued in Baghdad, Iraq, in the 1960s by the Arab Medical Union to meet the urgent need in Arabic-speaking countries for unified medical terms. In 1973, at the request of the Arab Medical Union and Council of Arab Ministers of Health, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean assumed responsibility for developing and updating the dictionary and a specialized committee of experts in medical terminology was established for this purpose. Previous editions of this dictionary have been produced in collaboration with the Arab Medical Union, Council of Arab Ministers of Health and the Arab League’s Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, with valuable contributions from scholars in Arab academies and experts and health professionals from ministries of health and universities in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.