On 28–29 April, 2025, community engagement specialists from Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand gathered at OUCRU-Nepal in Kathmandu for an intensive co-creation workshop. The two-day event marked a significant milestone in the development of an online training course designed to strengthen public, community, and patient involvement in clinical trials.
Hosted in collaboration with international partners, the workshop is part of a global initiative to embed meaningful engagement practices in health research. The course is being designed to reflect and promote the core principles outlined in the WHO Guidance on Best Practices for Clinical Trials (2024), ensuring it meets international standards while remaining adaptable to local contexts.
This Kathmandu meeting follows a similar workshop held in Kenya in March and precedes another scheduled in the Dominican Republic in May. Together, these regional consultations aim to ensure the course captures a wide range of lived experiences, perspectives, and strategies for inclusive research practice.
The workshop brought together a dynamic group of participants from across the OUCRU network and partner organizations. From OUCRU-Nepal, attendees included Ashata Dahal, Kamal Chaulagain, and Pratiba Oli. Representing OUCRU-Vietnam were Mary Chambers, Huong Van Thuy Qui and Thuan Dang Trong, while Ragil Dien and Mutia Rahardjani joined from OUCRU-Indonesia. Bipin Adhikari attended from MORU, Thailand. From Nepal Public Health Foundation, Janak Koirala and Sabin Thapaliya participated in the event. This diverse group contributed valuable insights and enriched the discussions with their regional and institutional perspectives.
Once launched, the training course will serve as a practical resource for researchers, institutions, and stakeholders seeking to enhance ethical and effective engagement in clinical trial settings worldwide.
If you have any suggestions for topics or priorities for the course please write to mesh@tghn.org