Cochrane has been a ‘non-state actor in official relations’ with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2011. The partnership is one of Cochrane’s largest and most impactful: around 76% of new guidelines issued by WHO in 2021 were informed by evidence from Cochrane Reviews. Discussions for a new programme of work will commence in the third quarter of 2023, so it is timely to revisit and renew the relationship between the two organizations.

This session intends to update participants on the status of Cochrane’s existing collaboration with WHO and on the organization’s current and future priorities. It is also a chance for participants to hear from WHO representatives about opportunities to engage directly in this partnership, which ultimately aims to improve global health outcomes by ensuring health and care decisions are informed by trusted and timely evidence.

After a brief introduction to the Cochrane-WHO collaboration and a short keynote from a WHO representative on current organizational priorities, the session will highlight key topics for discussion including: the use of rapid, living and curated evidence (and associated methods and innovative technologies) to inform WHO global guidance and ensure it remains up to date; expanding guidance and infrastructure to support better clinical trials and the reporting of their results; support for expanding areas of WHO’s work, such as evidence relating to traditional medicine; and how to build or strengthen relationships with specific WHO departments, as well as regional and country offices. An open discussion will then follow.

WHO guidance has a direct impact on the lives of billions of people worldwide. The primary activity of the Cochrane-WHO partnership is to ensure that WHO is able to draw on rigorously assessed, trusted and timely evidence for use in this guidance. Patients and consumers are encouraged to join the session.

Target audience: Anyone interested in the Cochrane-WHO partnership

Format: Presentation, panel discussion, open discussion with audience