WHO guidelines
The development of global guidelines ensuring the appropriate use of evidence represents one of the core functions of WHO.
A WHO guideline is defined broadly as any information product developed by WHO that contains recommendations for clinical practice or public health policy. Recommendations are statements designed to help end-users make informed decisions on whether, when and how to undertake specific actions such as clinical interventions, diagnostic tests or public health measures, with the aim of achieving the best possible individual or collective health outcomes.
The Guidelines Review Committee ensures that WHO guidelines are of a high methodological quality and are developed through a transparent, evidence-based decision-making process. Guidelines are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process that helps to ensure that each and every published guideline is trustworthy, impactful and meets the highest international standards.
WHO is planning to develop or update the guidelines listed below during the 2026-2027 biennium.
These guidelines were chosen based on public health need, organizational mandate, status of scientific evidence and input from Member States, regions, advisory bodies and external entities. The list below includes only guidelines requiring Guidelines Review Committee (GRC) approval, health emergency interim guidelines and vaccine position papers from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization. It does not include other types of WHO normative products that are planned for this biennium.
This list of planned guidelines is current as of 4 September 2026 and will be updated in June and December of each year.
Queries regarding the list of planned guidelines should be addressed to guidelines2.0initiative@who.int.
| Guideline proposed title | Publication date (anticipated/released) | |
|---|---|---|
| Health Systems, Access & Data Division (HSD) | ||
| Antimicrobial resistance Department (AMR) | ||
| Guidelines on laboratory diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections using in vitro diagnostic tests | 2027 Q4 | |
| Performance, Financing and Delivery Department (PDF) | ||
| WHO guidelines on the clinical management of sepsis (jointly developed with WHE) | 2026 Q4 | |
| Health Promotion, Disease Prevention & Care Division (PPC) | ||
| Health Determinants, Promotion & Prevention Department (DPP) | ||
| WHO clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adolescents | 2026 Q4 | |
| Guidelines on interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness – from children to older people | 2027 Q2 | |
| WHO clinical treatment guideline for nicotine cessation | 2027 Q3 | |
| Environment, Climate Change, One Health & Migration Department (ECO) | ||
| Guidelines on assessment and management of internal contamination with transuranium actinites | 2026 Q4 | |
| HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, & STIs Department (HTH) | ||
| Consolidated guidelines on HIV: service delivery | June 2026 | |
| Consolidated guidelines on HIV: treatment | 2027 Q2 | |
| WHO guidance on behavioural approaches to prevent HIV and STIs in the general population | 2027 Q3 | |
| Consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: tuberculosis preventive treatment, third edition | 2027 Q4 | |
| Consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: systematic screening, second edition | 2027 Q4 | |
| Consolidated guidelines on STI testing, treatment and care | 2027 Q4 | |
| Guidance on the public health approach for testing, prevention and care related to human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) | 2027 Q4 | |
| Consolidated guidelines on hepatitis B C and D prevention, testing, treatment and care | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: module 6: tuberculosis and comorbidities, third edition | 2027 Q4 | |
| Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals Department (IVB) | ||
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (COVID-19 vaccine), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | July 2026 | |
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (typhoid vaccine), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | August 2026 | |
| WHO emergency guidance on the use of licensed Ebola vaccine during Bundibugyo virus disease outbreaks: interim guidance, 31 August 2026 | Updated August 2026. First published in May 2026. | |
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (mpox vaccine), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | 2027 Q1 | |
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (meningitis vaccine), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | 2027 Q3 | |
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (yellow Fever vaccine), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | 2027 Q3 | |
| WHO vaccine policy position paper/guideline (pertussis), outcome from Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommendations | 2027 Q4 | |
| Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent & Aging Health Department (LHR) | ||
| Consolidated recommendations for management of common childhood illnesses: guidelines for the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents | 2026 Q3 | |
| WHO guideline on expanding contraception options | 2026 Q3 | |
| Consolidated recommendations for management of common childhood illnesses: guidelines for the management of asthma in children and adolescents, and acute bronchiolitis in children aged less than two years | 2026 Q4 | |
| WHO guideline on azithromycin for reduction of childhood mortality | 2026 Q4 | |
| WHO maternal and perinatal health recommendations on routine care and management of complications | 2027 Q4 | |
| Compilation of WHO recommendations for children one month to nine years | 2027 Q1 | |
| Abortion care guideline, third edition | 2027 Q1 | |
| WHO clinical and policy guidelines for responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women, second edition | 2027 Q1 | |
| Guidelines on newborn resuscitation | 2027 Q2 | |
| WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, third edition | 2027 Q3 | |
| Integrated guidelines for the management of geriatric syndromes | 2027 Q4 | |
| Guideline on planning and managing transition from paediatric to adult care | 2027 Q4 | |
| Guideline on screening, prevention and management of adolescent hypertension | 2027 Q4 | |
| Consolidated guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO recommendations on interventions to improve caesarean section outcomes | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO recommendations on screening and management of hyperglycemia during pregnancy, postnatal and interpregnancy periods | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO guideline on endometriosis | 2027 Q4 | |
| Malaria & Neglected Tropical Diseases Department (MNT) | ||
| Guidelines for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis, second edition | 2026 Q4 | |
| WHO guideline on coadministration of azithromycin, ivermectin, albendazole and diethylcarbamazine | 2026 Q4 | |
| WHO guideline for alleviating morbidity due to filarial lymphoedema | 2027 Q1 | |
| WHO guideline on the use of serology in trachoma elimination programmes | 2027 Q1 | |
| Guidelines on alternative treatment strategies for onchocerciasis and other parasitic infections | 2027 Q2 | |
| Update praziquantel preventive chemotherapy in preschool age children | 2027 Q4 | |
| Guidelines on the diagnostic and treatment of loiasis | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO guidelines for malaria | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO integrated vector control guidelines | 2027 Q4 | |
| Nutrition Food Safety Department (NFS) | ||
| WHO guideline on milk fortification | 2027 Q3 | |
| WHO guideline on animal-source foods | 2027 Q4 | |
| Noncommunicable Diseases & Mental Health Department (NMH) | ||
| Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia: WHO guidelines, second edition | July 2026 | |
| Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care | 2027 Q1 | |
| Guidelines for the psychosocially assisted pharmacological treatment of opioid dependence and community management of opioid overdose | 2027 Q2 | |
| Guidelines on insulin use for type 1 diabetes in adults, including in emergency and humanitarian settings | 2027 Q2 | |
| Guideline for the pharmacological management of dyslipidaemia for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease | 2027 Q2 | |
| Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders | 2027 Q4 | |
| Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) | ||
| Pandemic and Epidemic Management Department (EPM) | ||
| Consolidated guidelines on mpox testing and testing strategies | 2026 Q3 | |
| WHO consolidated guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 testing | 2026 Q4 | |
| Guidelines for testing of arboviruses | 2027 Q2 | |
| Guidelines for testing of viral haemorrhagic fevers | 2027 Q4 | |
| Guideline on post-exposure antibiotic prophylaxis for epidemic-prone bacterial diseases | 2027 Q4 | |
| Humanitarian and Disaster Management Department (HDM) | ||
| Clinical management and infection prevention and control for mpox | 2026 Q4 | |
| Infection prevention and control guideline: MERS-CoV chapter | 2026 Q4 | |
| WHO guidelines for the clinical management of filovirus disease | June 2026 | |
| Clinical practice guideline for measles | 2027 Q4 | |
| WHO guideline on the supportive management of acute respiratory infection caused by viruses (MERS-CoV, influenza, COVID-19, RSV) | 2027 Q2 | |
| WHO guideline on the clinical management of diphtheria | 2027 Q2 | |
| Infection prevention and control of epidemic-and pandemic prone acute respiratory infections in health care | 2027 Q4 | |
Latest WHO guidelines approved by the Guidelines Review Committee
All →Consolidated HIV guidelines: service delivery
HIV remains a major public health challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Inconsistent or delayed implementation of evidence-based...
Guidelines for the prevention of bloodstream infections and other infections associated with the use...
These WHO guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the prevention of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and other infections associated with the...
Cervical cancer remains a major public health challenge globally, with a disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries, despite the availability...
Policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments: WHO guideline
Children spend a large share of their day in school, making it a critical setting for shaping lifelong dietary habits and reducing health and nutrition...
WHO guidelines on the management of advanced HIV disease
Advanced HIV disease is the major cause of AIDS-related deaths among people living with HIV. In 2017, WHO recommended a package of care that should ...
Guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility
The objective of this guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations to prevent, diagnose and treat infertility. It provides a source for countries...
Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use, 4th ed.
This document is part of the process for improving the quality of care in family planning. Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use (SPR)...
Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 6th ed.
This document is part of the process for improving the quality of care in family planning. Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC) presents...
