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WHO launches global clinical trials forum to enhance research standards
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially launched the Global Clinical Trials Forum (GCTF), a new initiative aimed at elevating the quality, transparency, and coordination of clinical trials worldwide.
The forum seeks to establish a multi-stakeholder network to reinforce clinical trial infrastructure and oversight at national, regional, and global levels. It emerges in response to the World Health Assembly resolution WHA75.8, which emphasizes the need for high-quality evidence to guide health decision-making.
The GCTF promotes the implementation of WHO’s Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials, providing detailed principles and actions to improve trial design, conduct, and monitoring. The initiative is structured around the Global Action Plan for Clinical Trial Ecosystem Strengthening (GAP-CTS), which identifies nine priority areas to address systemic gaps in clinical research.
Strengthening global clinical trial standards
The forum adheres to WHO’s best-practice guidance, ensuring trials are ethical, reliable, and useful for healthcare professionals and patients alike. It also emphasizes capacity building, faster and safer trial approvals, and fostering public trust in healthcare systems.
Professor Anushka Patel, CEO of the George Institute and a founding member of the forum, highlighted that the initiative will facilitate knowledge sharing among researchers and help create stronger, more impactful trials worldwide.
The GCTF also prioritizes patient and community involvement to ensure research aligns with real-world needs and ethical standards. By connecting institutions and countries, it aims to strengthen the global clinical research network and improve the delivery of effective health solutions.
As WHO and its partners roll out the Global Clinical Trials Forum, the initiative aspires to make clinical trials more transparent, equitable, and reliable, ultimately accelerating access to effective treatments worldwide.