WHO R&D Portal

The World Health Organization (WHO) today marks the 25th anniversary of Research4Life, a public-private partnership that provides researchers, educators, health professionals and policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries with affordable or free access to scientific knowledge. (July 2026) The Centre for Behaviour Change is a globally recognized interdisciplinary centre that advances the science and application of behaviour change to address major health, social and environmental challenges. Through research, training and knowledge exchange, the Centre works to translate evidence into effective policy and practice. (June 2026)

In a major international effort to evaluate potential treatments for Ebola disease due to Bundibugyo virus (BVD), the PARTNERS clinical trial has opened enrolment today for patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The PARTNERS (Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS) trial will assess whether two antiviral therapies – a monoclonal antibody (MBP134) and remdesivir – can improve survival among people diagnosed with BVD. (2 July 2026)

To aid prioritization of therapeutics to be included in clinical research for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) the Technical Advisory Group on Therapeutics Prioritization has begun examining the landscape of immunomodulatory and host-directed new or repurposed agents. Research needed includes quality data on the natural history of BVD, collection of immune markers associated with inflammation and innate/adaptive immunity, correlative viral load and clinical features, markers of coagulation perturbation and organ/tissue damage. Some clinical investigations may have to be tailored to specific immune phenotypes. Timely data from animal models could provide evidence to identify the most promising therapies for clinical trials. (June 2026)

Following the recent Andes virus (ANDV) outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, a globally coordinated outbreak research initiative involving investigators and institutions across 21 countries has begun implementation, demonstrating how international research preparedness systems can be rapidly activated during health emergencies. The initiative, known as NAVIS, is a natural history study designed to improve understanding of ANDV transmission dynamics, incubation periods, immune responses, viral kinetics, and determinants of severe disease (June 2026)