The role of the World Health Organization in male contraceptive development

Abstract

The World Health Organization has been involved in male contraceptive development for over 50 years. In line with its functions and mandate, World Health Organization works with diverse stakeholders to support research, develop norms and standards, engage member states, facilitate prequalification, introduction and scale up, measurement, and tracking of contraceptives. World Health Organization has a key role in galvanizing global efforts to ensure universal access to contraception services irrespective of income group. Regarding male contraceptive development, World Health Organization has provided technical leadership, supported early research, created and supported research centers, built research capacity in various countries, and standardized semen analysis procedures. In this paper, a detailed description is provided with examples across the various stages of male contraceptive development. Limited funding to World Health Organization is a key challenge.