14.2 Strengthening the evidence base for public health and social measures

In 2019, the WHA approved what was considered, at the time, a landmark resolution on transparency, WHA72.8. Shortly thereafter, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an emergency treated like a matter of national security, where secrecy and non-transparency were often embraced.

Transparency is important for public health, to have reliable and accurate evidence to design policies and evaluate their impact and performance, and to establish trust with the public.

There is much the WHO and its member states can do to re-engage on the transparency agenda, but it can start by organizing technical meetings on standards and best practices to implement WHA72.8.