Historically, contact tracing has suffered from a lack of a real “home” in public health and relies on the work of professionals and citizens from diverse backgrounds, including public health and laboratory staff, digital experts, anthropologists, ethicists, risk communication and community engagement specialists, community leaders and community health workers. With its components dissipated across disciplines, it rarely receives sufficient attention in outbreak preparedness and response activities, yet it remains a critical component of public health response. Furthermore, the need for more guidance and standard operating procedures for the set-up and scaling contact tracing has been stressed at many forums, including during the June 2020 consultation organized by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) .
To address this need, in February 2023, WHO launched the contact tracing guidance development project. This project pioneers the creation and publication of a disease-agnostic, multidisciplinary, and practical guideline for contact tracing to support Member States and public health stakeholders when developing their outbreak response strategies.
Following a call for interest, 17 experts from various backgrounds were identified worldwide and selected to form the Guideline Development Group (GDG). Guideline Development Groups provide technical and/or normative advice and recommendations to WHO.
The names and brief biographies of individuals being considered for participation in the Guideline Development Group are hereby published for public notice and comment.
Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s Conflicts of Interest assessment policy as to strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice. Comments and perceptions will be carefully reviewed and treated confidentially. The comments will not be published and will be kept in record.
WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization, nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO. The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publicly in accordance with WHO practice.
Comments should be provided by email, and the receipt of these will be acknowledged through generic email notification to the sender.
Please send your comment to contacttracing@who.int with the subject, “Public comments on the Guideline Development Group – Contact Tracing Guidance” with indication of the name, nature and contact details of the sender.
The deadline for public comments is on Friday 6 October 2023.