The International Council of Experts Initiates the Establishing of Uniform Clinical Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Respiratory Viral Infections and Influenza for the Eurasian Region Countries

A meeting of the International Council of Experts held in Bukhara was attended by leading healthcare specialists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Following the meeting, a resolution was adopted establishing the start of large-scale work to develop the Uniform International Clinical Guidelines (UICG) for the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza in adults and children. Binnopharm Group, Russia’s leading pharmaceutical company, provided support for the implementation of this initiative.

The project aims to address systemic problems common to the region’s healthcare system: a high burden of disease, insufficient etiological diagnostics, fragmented regulatory documents, and the problem of irrational use of antibiotics.

A single document, clinical guidelines based on the principles of evidentiary medicine, will be developed as part of the standardisation of approaches. This will make it possible to harmonise the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza in both hospitals and outpatient clinics, reducing the number of diagnostic errors and unfounded prescriptions. The document will have a special focus on implementation of accessible rapid diagnostic methods (influenza, COVID-19, and RSV tests) to ensure accurate identification of the pathogen and prescription of targeted therapy.

Another key objective will be to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics for viral infections. The experts consider rational use of antiviral drugs and immune response modulating agents as one of the tools for solving this problem. The experts also highlighted the need for antiviral therapy taking a family-based approach into account (children and parents). Rapid testing for influenza in outpatient settings still has not become routine practice, and use of specific anti-influenza drugs requires confirmation of the diagnosis. The importance of using immunotropic agents for other (rhino-, adeno-, metapneumovirus, etc.) acute respiratory viral infections, such as interferon inducers (Kagocel, etc.) was pointed out.

The international GRADE system will be used in formulating the recommendations, ensuring transparency and scientific validity of all proposed treatment methods. The document will be developed with consideration of regional specifics: it is planned to create National Appendices to the UICG for each participating country, which will take into account the availability of specific drugs and the economic aspects of therapy.

The standing working group will prepare the first draft of the Uniform International Clinical Guidelines by 01 March 2026. Following discussion with experts, the final version of the document will be submitted for approval to the Council of Experts in May 2026.

Implementation of this initiative will be an important step in strengthening public health, enhancing the professionalism of healthcare workers, and developing interstate cooperation in healthcare across the Eurasian region.