The UN Population Fund’s Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia has published a new programme guidance on developing clinical guidelines on sexual and reproductive health as part of a multi-year project aimed at improving the quality of health services in the region.

The document serves to help health managers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia develop and institutionalize clinical guidelines on sexual and reproductive health.

“The guidance is a road map describing the elements and processes that need to be in place for developing clinical guidelines, based on good practice from a number of countries,” said Rita Columbia, UNFPA’s Regional Advisor on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Clinical guidelines are crucial for ensuring quality care and patient safety by supporting and promoting good clinical practice across national health systems.

“Proper adaptation of evidence-based clinical guidelines and their effective implementation at the clinical level will significantly contribute to lowering risks of morbidity and mortality and achieving better reproductive and sexual health care for patients, in particular women,” explained Columbia.

The guidance document was developed together with the East European Institute for Reproductive Health in Romania and the London-based Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on the basis of a survey conducted in 20 countries across the region.

As a next step, UNFPA will hold regional trainings on developing and implementing clinical guidelines on sexual and reproductive health. The trainings will be hosted by national partners in Moldova, Romania and Kazakhstan.