WHO/Europe’s new technical guidance offers a tool for decision-makers in the health sector to access timely, high-quality evidence in response to urgent policy and public health needs. It focuses on rapid response products (RRPs), which can guide policies and actions to ensure they are grounded in the best available research.
The need for evidence under tight deadlines
As health systems face growing demands due to emerging threats, political shifts or crisis situations, the need for rapid, reliable evidence also grows. RRPs are designed to meet this need. These are succinct, fit-for-purpose evidence summaries that support decision-makers with timely information, even under severe time constraints. When governments need to act quickly, RRPs offer a way to make evidence-informed decisions without compromising on quality.
For example, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, RRPs were used in some countries to support urgent decision-making. Although some evidence had already been generated, there was no concrete guidance on how best to act. The RRPs provided a focused analysis of the effectiveness and feasibility of several measures, which allowed for timely, science-based action in a rapidly evolving situation.
WHO/Europe’s support
The new guidance, titled “Rapid evidence services: standard operating procedures for rapid response products”, outlines 4 types of RRPs, each aligned with specific decision-making timelines:
- a 3-day RRP provides high-level summaries for immediate decisions;
- a 10-day RRP offers evidence briefs with more detailed analysis;
- a 30-day RRP delivers in-depth reports with thorough evaluation of the available evidence; and
- a 60- or 90-day RRP offers the most comprehensive level of assessment for more complex issues requiring broader stakeholder input.
The document also includes a detailed methodology for RRP production. It outlines step-by-step processes for developing the products, accompanied by examples and practical templates.
Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems at WHO/Europe, said, “We know that health decision-makers often need to act within days or weeks, not months or years. Our guidance is designed to strengthen national and regional capacities to produce rapid evidence products. This way, even fast-moving decisions can be informed by high-quality research.”
As outlined in the draft of the second European Programme of Work (EPW2), a critical action for WHO/Europe for 2026–2030 will be to sharpen the focus on evidence around what builds and erodes trust. This includes creating tools to enhance knowledge, skills and actionable plans within health systems.
The guidance was developed with funding support from Germany's Federal Ministry of Health.
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