The World Health Organization (WHO) is pleased to announce the launch of the sixth edition of its flagship Virtual cGMP Training Marathon, organised by the Local Production & Assistance (LPA) Unit led by Dr. Jicui Dong. This year’s programme, themed “Building Blocks for Sustained Excellence,” will take place from 9 September to 2 October 2025 and aims to reinforce the core knowledge and skills required for maintaining consistent compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in local production. All selected topics are designed to be directly applicable to both pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing contexts.
As a continuation of a successful global training initiative first launched in 2020, this year’s marathon will focus on refreshing core Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) principles and quality system fundamentals for technical professionals engaged in pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing to help maintain sustained regulatory compliance and operational excellence across diverse regions.
Eight sessions will be delivered virtually over a four-week period, with two sessions per week. These interactive sessions will cover key topics such as data integrity, pharmaceutical quality systems, cleaning validation, aseptic processing, and technology transfer, among others. All sessions are based on WHO guidelines, industry practice, and real-world case studies to ensure relevance and applicability.
The training is designed for technical professionals engaged in vaccine, biopharmaceutical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, including those involved in development, production, quality assurance, quality control, and regulatory affairs. Officials from national regulatory authorities, ministries of health, and ministries of industry are welcome to register to attend.
Registration is required, and space is limited. Selected participants will be contacted with participation details and will receive a certificate upon successful completion. Priority will be given to participants from low- and middle-income countries.
The Virtual cGMP Training Marathon is a core part of WHO’s ongoing efforts to support countries in strengthening local production, improving access to quality-assured health products, and safeguard health security during peacetime and pandemics. By empowering professionals with cGMP knowledge, the WHO helps Member States strengthen their national and regional manufacturing capacities and align with WHO’s international quality standards.
This year’s edition aligns with GPW14’s 6-5-7 framework, which anchors the WHO’s ambitious health equity strategy through 2028, by promoting the development of sustainable, high-quality manufacturing systems worldwide.
Registration deadline: 6 Septembre 2025
For more information, visit the WHO LPA website or contact localproduction@who.int.
The 2025 Virtual cGMP Training Marathon is financially supported by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (EC INTPA).