The Human Reproduction Programme -UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP) is a WHO co-sponsored research programme on human reproduction. HRP is based at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Its goal is to support and coordinate research on a global scale. It is part of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) department of the WHO. It resulted in the following marketed combined injectable contraceptives:
Estradiol cypionate/medroxyprogesterone acetate (EC/MPA; brand names Cyclofem, Lunelle; code names HRP-112, Cyclo-Provera) Estradiol valerate/norethisterone enanthate (EV/NETE; brand name Mesigyna; code name HRP-102) And in the following never-marketed progestogen injectable contraceptives:
Levonorgestrel butanoate (LNG-B; code name HRP-002) Levonorgestrel cyclobutylcarboxylate (code name HRP-001) Levonorgestrel cyclopropylcarboxylate (code name HRP-003)
Creation of the Human Reproduction Unit Since the first United Nations World Population Conference, held in Rome in 1954, the United Nations had a growing interest in the issue of demography and associated it with the economic difficulties of developing countries. following a request of the UN General Assembly, the Secretary-General conducted an inquiry among the member-States and concluded there were indeed concerns among the developing countries about the growth of their populations. These findings were taken into account by the General Assembly in the resolution 1048 (XXXVII). As the Second World Population Conference was meeting in Belgrade in 1965, the WHO was wondering how it could contribute. For the Director-General, as he said in a report demanded by the WHO Executive Council, "the importance of many medical, biological, social, cultural and economic factors in human reproduction makes it a major public health problem", which justified the decision to work on the demographic question, especially via the subject of human reproduction. The report was approved by the World Health Assembly, and it was decided to study sterility, the regulation of fertility, and the health aspect of demography. This mark the beginning of the Human Reproduction Unit. Its mission was to give technical advice on human reproduction aspects that were involved in public health.
Development of the Unit and creation of a global program of research The Human Reproduction Unit continued its mission and expanded its research not to only take into account strictly the medical aspect of human reproduction, but also economic, sociological, cultural, and psychological factors. The Unit was organizing meetings of experts and began to create a centre of documentation on human reproduction. In 1970, the WHO designated the Reproductive Endocrinology Research Unit of the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm as research and training centre on human reproduction. Pleased by the progress made, the World Health Assembly requested the Director-General to consider a way to develop family planning services. In 1970, the WHO launched a feasibility study about a global program of research on human reproduction. A report was thus presented in 1971 and advocated for a five ways action plan. First, the designation of four Research and Training Centres, which would have to be leaders on the research on human reproduction in their respective region. Second, the collaboration with Clinical Research Centres to facilitate the clinical evaluation of new fertility regulating agents. Third, the creation of task Forces to conduct the research projects. Fourth, the creation of an international documentation centre on biomedical aspects of human reproduction (this point was not executed due to limited funding at the time). The fifth point was about secondary objectives and miscellaneous recommendations. The Human Reproduction Unit was charged with the creation and administration of the new "Expanded Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction". In 1972, the World Health Assembly voted the WHA25.60 resolution "on WHO's role in the development and coordination of biomedical research", which requested the Director-General to "prepare proposals for the development of long-term WHO activities in biomedical research within the framework of the programmes being carried out by the Organization". He presented a report on this matter in December of the same year, including human reproduction and especially the Expanded Programme in the researches to fund. According to previous directors of the Programme, it is the date which formally established the HRP.
Expanded Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction The Expanded Programme was directed by an Advisory Group of 12 to 15 people designated by the Director-general. Their role was to advise the WHO on the policies, the strategies, the research priorities, and the resource affectation. The technical details of the scientific projects, the control of the publications and works of the Task Forces were delegated to a Review Group, which also designated the Clinical Research Centres. In 1977, the Expanded Programme became the Special Programme.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
