Zimbabwe to host World STI Congress

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter

ZIMBABWE is set to host the 23^rd International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) in September.

This will be the first meeting since 2018 after the previous Bangkok 21st World Congress of 2020 did not take place owing to Covid-19 and travel restrictions that came with it.

The main objective of the union is to achieve international multi-sectoral cooperation in the control of STI’s. The congress is held every two years and is the largest ever conference on STI’s.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the international union against STIs (IUSTI) is the oldest international organization in the field of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

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. IUSTI conferences attract young and mature scientists, researchers, programme managers and international agencies in the field of STIs/HIV; to 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,” they said in a statement.

Furthermore, the congress seeks to 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.

The world IUSTI congress is the main and mostly visible international forum to discuss the latest scientific and epidemiologic developments within the scope of STIs.

@NyembeziMu