Several of the world’s leading medical research funders have signed a joint statement committing to strengthen clinical trial systems globally, following WHO standards. The agreement aims to integrate clinical trials into sustainable national infrastructures, enhance trial design, ensure diverse and representative participant populations, and embed best practices in transparency, data management, and public engagement. This initiative builds on WHO’s Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials, the Global Action Plan for Clinical Trial Ecosystem Strengthening (GAP-CTS), the 2017 WHO statement on public disclosure of trial results, and the 2023 GloPID-R roadmap for coordinating infectious disease research.
The joint statement emphasizes embedding clinical trials within national health and research systems to align with local priorities and build sustainable capacity. Funders pledged to support early community and patient engagement, strengthen recipient capabilities for data management, and ensure trials meet best-practice standards. The initiative also focuses on designing trials to address gaps in evidence, prioritize populations that will benefit most, and include patient and community input. Funders will review proposals to ensure trials are practical, generalizable, and supported by systematic evidence.
Commitments also cover transparency and adherence to international standards. Trials will be registered in public registries, results reported within 12 months of completion, and protocols and statistical analysis plans published in open-access journals. Timely sharing of results during public health emergencies and responsible data sharing are further priorities. Through these measures, funders aim to reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and ensure clinical evidence better reflects the needs of diverse populations while strengthening trust and accountability.
Signatories include major institutions from around the world, such as the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Nepal Health Research Council, South African Medical Research Council, Wellcome, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Inserm, ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Global Health EDCTP3. Each highlighted the importance of patient and community involvement, robust trial design, adherence to ethics and transparency standards, and alignment with local health priorities. Collectively, the initiative sets a framework for a coordinated, equitable, and high-quality global clinical trials ecosystem, with measurable indicators to track progress within six months.
