By Hamu Madzedze
AVAC says investment in sexually transmitted infections (STI's) diagnostic and vaccine research and development is important in addressing the global burden of STI's.
AVAC is an international non profit organisation that works to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of HIV prevention tools as part of a comprehensive and integrated response to the epidemic through education,policy analysis,advocacy and a network of global collaboration.
The organisation's senior program manager for STI's and author of AVAC's latest report titled Sexually Transmitted Infections:A Review of the 2022 Vaccine and Diagnostic Research and Development Pipeline and Investments, Alison Footman said there has not been adequate resources for STI's research and development and this has been a stumbling block in addressing the global increase in sexually transmitted infections.
Footman said channeling resources which are needed to develop user-centred diagonistics treatments and prevention methods is key in prioritising the health of the people.
"If we have learned anything from HIV and COVID -19 epidemics it's that we need to get ahead of transmissions and have access to point of care tests that are effective , affordable , and user -friendly vaccines to prevent STI's which are on the horizon but these will only be developed and delivered if money is made available with urgency and scale" said Footman.
The senior program's manager added that there is a need to be investing in tests for sexually transmitted disease that will improve detection and limit the time between test and treatment and hopefully prevent transmission.
"Many STI's testing programs rely on patients to present with symptoms but considering that most of the STI's are asymptomatic this approach is missing the mark" pointed Footman.
Footman highlighted that overally Sexually Transmitted Infections Research and Development is under-funded and the 7% channeled towards diagnostic is not commensurate with the public health need.
The AVAC report states that of the US$103 million in STI vaccine and diagnostic research and development , US$6.8 million was for diagnostics a much lower amount than for vaccine research which was funded at US$ 93 million or 90% of the total funding and the remaining 3% was directed towards projects that examined both vaccine and diagnostics research and development.
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