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.

WHO releases target regimen profiles for long-acting injectables for TB

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published Target regimen profiles for long-acting injectables for tuberculosis prevention and treatment. Tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment still depend on daily oral regimens taken over months, and sustaining adherence over such periods is difficult for many people. Long-acting injectables (LAIs) could significantly lighten the burden for people taking TB medicines and the health system that delivers them. (October 2026)

Learn more

Early menopause: Why better research and global guidance matter for women’s health

Read the feature story on early menopause and why research matters (October 2026)

Learn more

WHO advances tools to govern life sciences and dual-use research

As rapid advances in biotechnology, genomics, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and related life sciences continue to reshape global health and innovation, countries face a growing need to manage emerging risks without slowing scientific progress. Tools and knowledge developed for beneficial purposes can also pose risks if misused accidentally, inadvertently or deliberately. The World Health Organization (WHO) is responding by supporting Member States with practical and forward-looking approaches that strengthen safety, security and responsible oversight while enabling innovation. (September 2026)

Learn more

Hand holding a petri dish in front of lab equipment

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

R&D databases

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:

Global Observatory on Health R&D

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: July 2026

An error occurred while loading the data. Please refresh the page to try again.

No results found for the selected filters.

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: July 2026

An error occurred while loading the data. Please refresh the page to try again.

No results found for the selected filters.

Number of clinical trials by region in 2015 and 2025

How many clinical trials are undertaken in your region?

This is a brief overview. Hover mouse over a region to see data from 2015 and 2025. 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 (1999-2026)

Data updated: July 2026

An error occurred while loading the data. Please refresh the page to try again.

No results found for the selected filters.

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.