Overview
The International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) is organizing the 23rd IUSTI World Congress from 4 to 7 September 2022 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The theme of the meeting is Confronting Inequities in STI Prevention, Diagnostics and Care. The key objective is to address the inequities experienced at the global level, with focus on low- and middle-income countries.
WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes will be present at IUSTI, share and promote WHO policies, guidelines and tools such as Guidelines on the Management of Symptomatic STIs, Research agenda, PrEP, etc). The department will also present and discuss the new Global Health Sector Strategies for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for the period 2022-2030 in a special session.
Objectives
- highlight the burden of STIs and the need for effective responses, not only in sub-Saharan Africa, but also elsewhere, despite the paucity of surveillance data from many of the countries in the developing world;
- advocate open discussion about STIs and HIV prevention and care, particularly among key populations at high risk for STIs and HIV, and among adolescents;
- highlight the global need for improved access to packages of interventions for the prevention and care of STIs, including HIV, particularly STI diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines; and
- to share new scientific knowledge and the latest technological innovations pertaining to diagnosis, therapeutic management, epidemiology and sexual behaviour relevant to STIs and HIV.
Agenda
Keynote lecture: New Global Health Sector Strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs for the period 2022-2030
4 September | 17 – 18:30 (UTC + 2) | Kalala Conference Room
The new strategies propose a common vision to end epidemics and advance universal health coverage, primary health care and health security in a world where all people have access to high-quality, evidence-based and people-centred health services. The Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) promote the disease-specific goals to end AIDS and the epidemics of viral hepatitis and STIs by 2030, with 5 strategic directions providing the overall guiding framework for achieving these goals.
Flyer (PDF, 845 KB)
What’s the evidence and what’s new? WHO Guidelines for the Management of Symptomatic STIs in resource-constrained settings
4 September | 14:30 – 16:00 (UTC + 2) | Gwayi Conference Room
The objectives of the session are to overview WHO Guidelines on the Management of Symptomatic STIs and to discuss how these guidelines can be used in countries from implementation, laboratory and healthcare provider angles.
Abstract | Flyer (PDF, 930 KB)
Increasing challenges of STIs: The need to act now
5 September | 10:30 – 13:30 (UTC + 2) | Kalundu Conference Room
This symposium will: 1) explore the factors that contribute to the rise of STIs and discuss the role of traditional and innovating approaches to reverse the trend; 2) identify gaps and challenges that need to be addressed and deliberate on how to bridge the gaps and respond to the challenges; 3) deliberate on opportunities to accelerate country level implementation of the GHSS; and 4) define a road map for re-energizing STI programmes.
Abstract | Flyer (PDF, 815 KB)
WHO STI research priority setting and monkeypox virus
5 September | 12:00 – 13:30 (UTC + 2) | Kalundu Conference Room
WHO is undertaking a global research priority setting exercise for STIs, to address the most pressing gaps in STI prevention, management, and control. The symposium will discuss three crucial research areas related to monkeypox virus transmission and identify STI-related study designs and approaches, methodologies, and opportunities for collaboration and data harmonisation.
Abstract | Flyer (PDF, 555 KB)
Don’t let the opportunity pass: integrating STI services for people who use HIV PrEP
6 September | 10:30 – 12:00 (UTC + 2) | Kalundu Conference Room
Following the 2015 WHO recommendation that oral PrEP “should be offered as an additional prevention choice for people at substantial risk of HIV infection as part of combination HIV prevention approaches”, partners in countries expressed the need for practical advice on how to consider the introduction of PrEP and start implementation. In response, WHO has developed a series of modules to support the implementation of PrEP among a range of populations in different settings. During this satellite, WHO will launch a new PrEP module to support countries implementing, improving, and scaling up the STI services among HIV PrEP users.
Flyer (PDF, 745 KB)
The role of brief behavioural interventions in a combination prevention approach to STIs, including HIV: current achievements, challenges and way forward
6 September | 12:00 – 13:30 (UTC + 2) | Kalundu Conference Room
This symposium aims to expand on WHO’s work on brief behavioural interventions to improve sexual health. First the attendees will learn about their role within the current landscape of STI/HIV prevention. Then the content, delivery and utility of brief sexuality related communication (BSC) will be elaborated through country examples. Environmental determinants will be considered in the context of the new GHSS, and SDG 2030. Lastly, the symposium will comment on the synergy between behavioural and biomedical interventions within combination STI/HIV prevention and the importance of a holistic approach on training health care providers on sexual health.
Flyer (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Addressing STIs towards the elimination of paediatric HIV, hepatitis B virus infection and congenital syphilis
6 September | 16:30 – 18:00 (UTC + 2) | Kalundu Conference Room
In this session, we will present the Triple Elimination Initiative and describe the criteria for validation of elimination through sharing country experiences in achieving and assessing the foundational requirements for validation. The session will also describe how clinicians and clinical managers can make an impact towards eliminating new paediatric HIV, hepatitis B virus infections and congenital syphilis.