The WHO Department of SRHR including HRP is publishing the proposed membership of The Guideline Development Group for the development of the WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive use 6th Edition and the Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive use 4th Edition hereafter referred to as the MEC/SPR GDG. The MEC provides evidence-based guidance on the safety of various contraceptive methods for use in the context of specific health conditions and characteristics, while the SPR provides guidance on how to use contraceptive methods correctly, consistently, safely, and effectively once they are deemed to be medically appropriate.
The MEC / SPR GDG is a group of experts’ external to the World Health Organization (WHO) who will provide scientific advice and guidance to WHO on the technical content, organization, presentation, and dissemination of the WHO MEC 6th Edition, and the WHO SPR 4th Edition. The GDG will have 4 co-chairs, and will be supported by a methodologist, an evidence secretariat, and the WHO Guideline Steering Group (GSG). Members of the MEC/SPR GDG have been identified by the WHO GSG and comprise experts with extensive and diverse experience in family planning/ contraception, public health, epidemiology, pharmacology, health systems, innovations and technology, nursing and midwifery, guideline development, research, etc. The GSG in line with the WHO guidance for guideline development has assured regional and gender balance in the MEC/SPR GDG membership.
The GDG will meet in July 2024 at WHO’s Headquarters in Geneva to:
- Appraise the evidence on specific PICOs that will inform the update of the MEC and SPR and formulate recommendations using a consensus-based approach
- Propose any outstanding research gaps in MEC and SPR
- Highlight any implementation considerations for the updated MEC and SPR
The MEC/ SPR GDG will later review and validate the final guideline documents before they are submitted to the Guideline Review Committee (GRC) for final approval prior to publication and launching.
NB. Members of the GDG will participate in the guideline development process and at meetings in their individual capacity and not as representatives of the institutions or organizations with which they are affiliated. Members of the GDG members will not receive an honorarium, remuneration or compensation for their participation.
In line with WHO policy on conflict of interest, members of the public and interested organizations can access the biographies of the GDG members and inform WHO of any concerns in relation to individual member’s participation in the MEC/SPR GDG. The list comprises 18 members. All comments should be sent by email to [email protected] by 2 February 2024.
