WHO Symposium – Drug-resistant gonorrhoea: Closing the gap between surveillance and action
Wednesday 14 October 2026, 15:30–16:30 CEST
About the session
Antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhoea is an increasing global public health threat that undermines the effectiveness of available treatment options and risks limiting future therapeutic choices. Although resistance is being detected in multiple settings, surveillance and response capacities remain uneven, insufficiently resourced, and are not consistently linked to timely public health decision-making and action.
This session at the 27th IUSTI World Congress will explore how to strengthen the connection between surveillance, policy, and implementation. Bringing together representatives from the World Health Organization, the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), countries experiencing gonococcal antimicrobial resistance, and WHO Collaborating Centres, the discussion will focus on translating surveillance and evidence into effective policy and programmatic responses.
Objectives
Drawing on country experience, including implementation of the Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP), the roundtable will explore approaches to:
- Strengthen and sustain high-quality gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems, including financing and country ownership.
- Improve the use of surveillance data to inform timely treatment policy decisions and support antimicrobial stewardship.
- Advance equitable and rights-based access to quality STI prevention, testing, treatment, and care in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance
Moderator
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, WHO
Speakers
- Mr. Jean-Baptiste Perrin, Team leader
Directorate-General for European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority - Ministry of Health, Cambodia
- Ministry of Health, Thailand
- Department of Health, South Africa
- Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and Other STIs, Head, Swedish National Reference Laboratory for STIs, Sweden
- National Hospital of Dermatology and Venerology, Viet Nam
