What happened
WHO and HRP launched a knowledge portal on the inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in clinical trials. The event page frames the portal as a practical resource for researchers, ethics committees, sponsors and regulators who need to assess when and how these populations can be included safely and fairly.
Why it matters
Excluding pregnant and lactating women can leave clinicians and patients making decisions with thin evidence. A dedicated portal does not solve the ethical, safety or liability barriers on its own, but it signals that exclusion should be justified rather than automatic.
What to watch
Whether trial protocols cite the portal, how ethics committees use it, whether sponsors change eligibility criteria, and whether future maternal-health evidence gaps shrink in medicines, vaccines and diagnostics.
