World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations serving as the directing and coordinating authority for international health, it ensures the widest possible availability of authoritative information and guidance on health matters.

WHO has no authority to grant any form of recognition or accreditation to schools of medicine or other training institutions. Such a procedure remains the exclusive prerogative of the national government concerned. WHO limits itself to publishing information on medical schools that has been provided or confirmed by the governments of its Member States.

The World Directory of Medical Schools (WDMS) published by World Health Organization is the result of a wide and co-ordinated effort encompassing the design, field-testing and translation of questionnaires, the development of an electronic database, and editing, printing and dissemination. The resulting Directory in its Seventh Edition provides information on 1642 medical schools, listing the institutions of basic medical education in 157 countries or areas.

The Medical schools in each country are listed alphabetically. The website address to access the WDMS is http://www.who.int/hrh/wdms/en