WHO R&D Portal
The health research and development (R&D) portal links to WHO’s key resources for health product development. Resources can be searched by disease for information such as analyses, clinical trials underway, target product profiles, and links to relevant WHO databases and resources for more Information.
.jpg?sfvrsn=2f260522_3 "Health workers check for trachoma during a rapid assessment survey of the disease in Egypt")
Who should use the R&D portal
Researchers
may learn about clinical
trials and review
guidance documents in
their disease area
Patients
may understand the
state and progress of
research and clinical
trials for their condition
Product developers
may learn about
research priorities and
seek scientific advice for
product development
Funders
may determine gaps, needs and areas of opportunity for
Policymakers
may glean high-level
overviews of research
metrics by country
and region
Global R&D statistics
Get a quick snapshot of key global R&D metrics such as funding and expenditure, researcher countries, and number of clinical trials.
Powered by:
Gross domestic R&D expenditure on health as % of GDP
Which regions are prioritizing health R&D in their budget? View the expenditure on health R&D as a percentage of GDP by WHO region.
This is a brief overview. For a more detailed analysis, please refer to the data source.
Data source: Gross domestic R&D expenditureon health (health GERD) as a percentage of GDP (who.int)
Data updated: May 2025
Health researchers per million inhabitants
How many health researchers working full-time equivalents (FTE) are there per inhabitant in your region?
This is a brief overview. For a more detailed analysis, please refer to the data source.
Data source: Health researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants, by WHO Region
Data updated: June 2025
Number of clinical trials by region in 2010 and 2022
How many clinical trials are undertaken in your region?
This is a brief overview. Hover mouse over a region to see data from 2010 and 2022. For a more detailed analysis, including a review of the distribution of the clinical trials in low-income countries versus high income countries, please refer to the data source
Data source: Number of clinical trials by year, country, WHO region and income group (1999-2022)
Data updated: March 2024
Support and guidance
Interact with WHO to get active support and feedback at key milestones in the R&D cycle, or view relevant guidance documents at any time in your journey.
Active support and feedback
Policies and guidance
