Following the extended public consultation on the Guideline Development Group (GDG) members for the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on the health of trans and gender diverse people, 6 additional proposed members have been identified.
WHO is sharing the updated list of the proposed GDG membership for public feedback. All comments on this updated list should be sent via email to TGDGL@who.int by 5 July 2024.
Background on the guideline
The guideline under development aims to address specific health challenges that negatively impact the rights of trans and gender diverse adults to access quality health services, undermining their quality of life and life expectancy.
The scope of the guideline was based on requests of some WHO Member States and on the outcomes of a stakeholder consultation held in May 2022 with experts in transgender health and representatives from the affected communities from all WHO regions. The proposed guideline is guided by WHO’s vision of a world in which all people attain the highest possible level of health and well-being, leaving no one behind.
This new guideline will focus on 5 areas: provision of gender-affirming care, including hormones relating to adults; health worker education on and training for the provision of gender-inclusive care; provision of health care for trans and gender diverse people who have suffered interpersonal violence, based on their needs; health policies that support gender-inclusive care; and legal recognition of self-determined gender identity for adults.
Guideline development process
The GDG is being established in line with WHO standard procedures. As per the WHO policy on conflicts of interest, members of the public and interested organizations were invited to provide feedback on a list of proposed GDG members for this guideline and inform WHO of their views about them.
The initial lists for proposed composition of the GDG and related biographies were posted on the WHO website for general feedback on 28 June and 18 December 2023. Subsequently, WHO identified additional GDG members to enhance the group’s range of expertise, specifically in endocrinology, bioethics, mental health, and health policy/service delivery.
Now, the public are invited to comment on the expanded list, within the deadline of 5 July 2024, after which a final list of GDG members is expected to be confirmed and the group will begin its work.
The GDG members include researchers with relevant technical expertise; end-users (e.g. health programme managers and health workers, including clinicians); and representatives of trans and gender diverse community organizations, among others. The proposed members come from all six WHO regions. They will act in their individual capacity (not representing any organization with which they are affiliated) and will not receive any financial compensation as per standard procedures.