Review

. 2024 Sep;12(9):e1544-e1551.

doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00266-3. Epub 2024 Jul 20.

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections

Sami L Gottlieb¹, Erica Spielman², Laith Abu-Raddad³, Adeniyi Kolade Aderoba⁴, Laura H Bachmann⁵, Karel Blondeel², Xiang-Sheng Chen⁶, Tania Crucitti⁷, Gabriela Garcia Camacho⁸, Sheela Godbole⁹, Rodolfo Gómez Ponce de Leon¹⁰, Somesh Gupta¹¹, Joumana Hermez¹², Naoko Ishikawa¹³, Jeffrey D Klausner¹⁴, Firdavs Kurbonov⁸, Ismael Maatouk¹⁵, Ahmed Mandil¹⁶, Maeve B Mello¹⁵, Angelica Espinosa Miranda¹⁷, Fausta Shakiwa Mosha⁴, Joseph Chukwudi Okeibunor⁴, Jason J Ong¹⁸, Remco P H Peters¹⁹, Freddy Pérez²⁰, Nicole Seguy²¹, Kate L Seib²², Mukta Sharma²³, Tim Sladden²⁴, Barbara Van Der Pol²⁵, Peter J White²⁶, Teodora Wi¹⁵, Nathalie Broutet⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: gottliebs@who.int.
² Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs Programmes, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
⁴ WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
⁵ Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
⁶ National Center for STD Control, Nanjing, China.
⁷ Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
⁸ Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁹ Indian Council of Medical Research-National AIDS Research Institute, Pune, India.
¹⁰ Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women's and Reproductive Health, Pan American Health Organization, Montevideo, Uruguay.
¹¹ All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
¹² WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
¹³ Kawasaki Settlement Clinic, CFMD, Tokyo, Japan.
¹⁴ University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁵ Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs Programmes, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁶ WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt; High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁷ Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Ministério da Saúde, Brasilia, Brazil.
¹⁸ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁹ Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa.
²⁰ Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA.
²¹ WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.
²² Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
²³ WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India.
²⁴ UNFPA, New York, NY, USA.
²⁵ University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
²⁶ Imperial College School of Public Health, London, UK; UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.

PMID: 39043199
PMCID: PMC11342064
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00266-3

Review

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections

Sami L Gottlieb et al. Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Sep.

. 2024 Sep;12(9):e1544-e1551.

doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00266-3. Epub 2024 Jul 20.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: gottliebs@who.int.
² Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs Programmes, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
⁴ WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
⁵ Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
⁶ National Center for STD Control, Nanjing, China.
⁷ Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
⁸ Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁹ Indian Council of Medical Research-National AIDS Research Institute, Pune, India.
¹⁰ Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women's and Reproductive Health, Pan American Health Organization, Montevideo, Uruguay.
¹¹ All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
¹² WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt.
¹³ Kawasaki Settlement Clinic, CFMD, Tokyo, Japan.
¹⁴ University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁵ Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs Programmes, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁶ WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt; High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁷ Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Ministério da Saúde, Brasilia, Brazil.
¹⁸ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁹ Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa.
²⁰ Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA.
²¹ WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.
²² Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
²³ WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India.
²⁴ UNFPA, New York, NY, USA.
²⁵ University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
²⁶ Imperial College School of Public Health, London, UK; UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.

PMID: 39043199
PMCID: PMC11342064
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00266-3

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are widespread worldwide and negatively affect sexual and reproductive health. Gaps in evidence and in available tools have long hindered STI programmes and policies, particularly in resource-limited settings. In 2022, WHO initiated a research prioritisation process to identify the most important STI research areas to address the global public health need. Using an adapted Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative methodology including two global stakeholder surveys, the process identified 40 priority STI research needs. The top priorities centred on developing and implementing affordable, feasible, rapid point-of-care STI diagnostic tests and new treatments, especially for gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis; designing new multipurpose prevention technologies and vaccines for STIs; and collecting improved STI epidemiologic data on both infection and disease outcomes. The priorities also included innovative programmatic approaches, such as new STI communication and partner management strategies. An additional six research areas related to mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) reflect the need for STI-related research during disease outbreaks where sexual transmission can have a key role. These STI research priorities provide a call to action for focus, investment, and innovation to address existing roadblocks in STI prevention, control, and management to advance sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing for all.

This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY 3.0 IGO license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In any use of this article, there should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests SLG received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid to WHO for work on therapeutic human papillomavirus vaccines and on COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy, and the Gates Foundation travel support to meetings on maternal immunisation and women's health innovations. LHB received royalties for book editing on Sexually Transmitted Infections in HIV-infected Adults and Special Populations. JDK received grants and support from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Open Philanthropy; royalties and licences from UpToDate and McGraw-Hill; one-time consulting fees from Visby Medical, Diagnostics Direct, and Biofire; payment or honoraria from AIDS Healthcare Foundation; and payment for expert testimony from Gray Robinson. He is currently President of the non-profit organisation Herpes Cure Advocacy. JJO received grant support paid to his institution from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and US NIH; and honoraria for presentations or other speaking events and support for attending meetings from Gilead Sciences. He is currently Board Director for the Australian Society for HIV, Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine and for Health Equity Matters and is a World Executive Committee member for the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI). RPHP received grants from NIH, Global AMR Innovation Fund–Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Open Philanthropy, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Program–South African Medical Research Council, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. KLS received grants paid to her institute from the Australian NHMRC (numbers 1182443, 2017383, and 2002182). She has also received airfare and conference registration support from the International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference and the IUSTI World Congress. PJW received support from the UK Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research, salary from the UK Health Security Agency and Imperial College London, and consulting fees from Pfizer and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. BVDP received consulting fees as an advisory board member for Abbot Rapid Diagnostics and Detect, consulting fees from Preventx, and speaking honoraria from Roche. She is President of the International Society for STD Research. NB received a consultancy contract from WHO for assistance with this project and had a contract with the Daffodil Centre on cervical cancer elimination. All other authors report no competing interests.

Figures

**Figure 1**
The five phases of the STI research priority setting process HICs=high-income countries. LMIC=low-income and middle-income countries. STI=sexually transmitted infection.

**Figure 2**
Summary of the global STI research priorities by research domain *C trachomatis*=*Chlamydia trachomatis* (chlamydia). LMICs=low-income and middle-income countries. *M genitalium=Mycoplasma genitalium. N gonorrhoeae*=*Neisseria gonorrhoeae* (gonorrhoea). STI=sexually transmitted infection. *T pallidum=Treponema pallidum* (syphilis). *T vaginalis=Trichomonas vaginalis*.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. WHO Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021. 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240027077
1. James C, Harfouche M, Welton NJ, et al. Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016. Bull World Health Organ. 2020;98:315–329. - PMC - PubMed
1. WHO Global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections, 2016–2021. 2016. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-RHR-16.09
1. Unemo M, Lahra MM, Escher M, et al. WHO global antimicrobial resistance surveillance for Neisseria gonorrhoeae 2017–18: a retrospective observational study. Lancet Microbe. 2021;2:e627–e636. - PubMed
1. Wi TE, Ndowa FJ, Ferreyra C, et al. Diagnosing sexually transmitted infections in resource-constrained settings: challenges and ways forward. J Int AIDS Soc. 2019;22(suppl 6) - PMC - PubMed

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WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections

Affiliations

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections

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Conflict of interest statement

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