New WHO online course strengthens good practices in clinical trials

High-quality clinical trials are essential for generating reliable evidence to inform health policy, clinical practice and public trust in science. To support countries and researchers in strengthening trial quality and equity, WHO has launched a new free online course, ‘WHO Good Practices for Clinical Trial Design and Implementation’, available on the WHO Academy online learning platform.

The self‑paced course translates the ‘WHO Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials’ into practical, applied learning for those involved in clinical trials. The course responds directly to requests from WHO Member States to strengthen capacity for clinical trials (as articulated in WHA75.8) and improve research quality, coordination and preparedness for public health emergencies.

“Well-designed and well-conducted clinical trials are fundamental to protecting participants, producing trustworthy evidence and strengthening confidence in science,” said Dr Sylvie Briand, WHO Chief Scientist. “This course equips a wide range of actors with a shared understanding of good practices, helping to translate global guidance into better trials, better evidence and ultimately better health outcomes.”

Clinical trials can involve anyone – healthy individuals or people living with a disease or other health condition. They test a wide range of health interventions, not just medicines. This includes vaccines, medical devices, surgical procedures, diagnostics, nutrition, physical therapy, psychological support, digital health tools, traditional or herbal remedies and process-of-care changes.

Recent breakthroughs in global health underscore the critical role of high-quality clinical trials. These include long-acting HIV prevention injectables; innovative cancer therapies showing promising improvements in survival; advances in malaria prevention and treatment and new diagnostic tools to help end TB.

“At a time when the global health agenda, and even science itself, is under attack, the importance of clinical trials cannot be overstated,” noted Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Science for Health Department. “WHO remains committed to supporting the global research community to deliver life-saving advances in health, particularly in developing countries where the need is greatest. This new course forms part of our renewed focus on strengthening equitable research and ethics ecosystems.”

Grounded in WHO’s 2024 guidance, the course is structured around five universally applicable scientific and ethical principles. Across nine interactive modules, taking approximately 4.5 hours to complete, learners explore how these principles can be applied in different settings, disease areas and health systems. The course emphasizes real‑world decision‑making, addressing common challenges in trial design, conduct and oversight, including participant protection, ethical review, community engagement, operational feasibility and relevance to public health needs.

“The course provides a clear and highly practical foundation for ethical, high‑quality clinical research,” enthused Dr Rajeshree Sanyal, Senior Project Manager at The George Institute for Global Health in India, and an early course participant. “The real‑world case studies and interactive course format makes the learning process both engaging and easy to follow.”

While currently available in English, other language versions of the course are planned to be rolled out in coming years. “The course successfully bridges the gap between ethical theory and operational reality, giving me the professional edge to ensure our trials are both robust and participant-centred,” explains Mithun Mohan George, Project Manager at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Canada. “I have already started implementing key lessons in my monitoring plan documents and would definitely recommend this course to all those who are looking to make clinical research practices better.”

By making this course freely available online, WHO aims to reduce barriers to high‑quality clinical trials education and support countries in building sustainable research capacity aligned with national and global health priorities.