Inside EU Health: WHO defends itself from US slurs; pilot targets 70-day clinical trial approvals; less than 1% of research spent on key women’s health issues
WHO defends itself against US accusations; FAST-EU pilot targets 70-day clinical trial approvals; less than 1% of research funding goes to key women’s health conditions
WHO defends itself against US accusations
On Saturday, 24 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement on the United States’ decision to withdraw from the organization. WHO said the United States had contributed significantly to its major achievements and warned that its departure would make both the US and the world less safe.
Without directly addressing US payment arrears, the statement noted that issues arising from the withdrawal would be discussed by WHO’s Executive Board on 2 February.
WHO rejected accusations that it had compromised US independence, stating that it had always engaged with the United States in good faith and with full respect for its sovereignty.
“WHO recommended the use of masks, vaccines and physical distancing, but at no stage recommended mask mandates, vaccine mandates or lockdowns,” the statement said. “We supported sovereign governments to make decisions they believed were in the best interests of their people, but the decisions were theirs.”
The organization also dismissed claims that it obstructed the timely and accurate sharing of critical information. While acknowledging that no organization or government handled every aspect of the pandemic perfectly, WHO said it acted quickly and shared all information it had rapidly and transparently throughout the crisis.
Finally, WHO rejected accusations by the government that it had “pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests”, calling the claim untrue and reiterating that it remains impartial and committed to serving all member states.
FAST-EU pilot targets 70-day clinical trial approvals
The FAST-EU pilot, Facilitating and Accelerating Strategic Clinical Trials, is a joint initiative led by the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA), the Clinical Trials Coordination Group (CTCG), and MedEthics EU. From 30 January, the programme will open to sponsors seeking an accelerated pathway for multi-national clinical trial applications across the EU/EEA.
While applications will be accepted from 30 January, participation will be limited. Only a small number of application slots will be available each month, and acceptance is not guaranteed. Beyond shortening approval timelines, FAST-EU is designed as a learning exercise to inform the future implementation of the EU Biotech Act.
Catherine Feore
The initiative aligns with the ambitions set out in the Biotech Act, presented in December by Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. The legislation aims to improve the EU’s financial and regulatory environment and sets an ambitious target of cutting average clinical trial approval times from 100 days to no more than 47 days.
Less than 1% of research funding goes to key women’s health conditions
In the first year of the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, supported by GAVI, more than 120 organizations have joined forces to address gender disparities in research.
Despite making up half of the world’s population, women’s health is underfunded, with a persistent gender health gap in research, care and outcomes.
Research shows that nine conditions, including menopause, endometriosis and maternal disorders, collectively receive less than 1% of research funding. The report estimates that closing this gap could unlock 27 million quality-adjusted life years annually, equal to an extra 2.7 healthy days per woman per year, and contribute up to $1 trillion to global GDP by 2040.
The European Parliament’s SANT Committee have shown a keen interest in this issue. Portuguese MEP Catarina Martins (The Left) published her draft report in early January; the deadline for amendments was today (26 January).