Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics

Overview

The Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics (hereafter referred to as the “Network”) was founded in May 2010 to “support the WHO-HQ Ethics and Health Unit (Geneva) to implement its mandated work in the field of ethics and health, including:

• “Articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options” (WHO core function);
• Advancing ‘ethics-and rights-based approaches to health promoted within WHO and at national and global levels’ (WHO organization-wide-expected result 7.4); and
• Increasing "capacity to assess and act upon ethical issues in public health at country, regional and global level and within the Organization (WHO/HQ-specific expected result 7.4.1).”

  The Network augments the contributions of individual WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics (CC) by fostering “connections and synergies between CCs to achieve enhanced results, to facilitate resource mobilization, and to strengthen (institutional) capacity, in particular at regional level” with respect to public health ethics, research ethics, and clinical ethics. As of August 2011, the Network is comprised of six CCs in three regions.

  In this document, we provide an overview of Network activities in its inaugural year, including network development and collaborative projects in public health ethics and research ethics.