UK Government to Invest £4.5m in Gonorrhoea Research
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified the spread of gonorrhoea as being a significant threat to the health of people around the world. And now, thanks to a collaboration between the UK government and two other bodies – GAMRIF (Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund) and GARDP (Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership) – plans to improve treatment, and access to treatment, have been set in motion.
The UK government has pledged 4.5 million euros towards the funding of antibiotic treatment and to enabling access to treatments for people in poorer countries where more traditional antibiotics have now become ineffective.
Young People Are Worst Affected
According to the official NHS website, when it comes to bacterial STIs, gonorrhoea is second only to chlamydia in prevalence in the UK. Over 44,500 people in England were diagnosed with the condition throughout 2017, with the majority of cases affecting young people under 25.
Spreading information about the potential long-term effects of gonorrhoea has led to increasing uptake in STI testing London and nationwide. But no matter how much STI testing London and national clinics undertake, the message still needs to be put across about methods of preventing the spread of gonorrhoea.
New Drugs Nearly Ready for the Market
Although gonorrhoea has now become resistant to nearly all traditional treatments in many other countries, this resistance is starting to make itself felt in the UK too. And so the rush is on to develop new treatments that will stop the disease in its tracks.
Thanks to the investment by the UK, GAMRIF and GARDP can now focus their attention on a number of initiatives aimed at bringing new solutions into play. At the forefront is Zoliflodacin, an antibiotic that is nearing the end of the clinical trials process and is expected to launch on to the market very soon. Unlike almost other antibiotic currently available, Zoliflodacin has been developed specifically to target gonorrhoea. It’s anticipated that the drug will become the new gold standard for tackling this disease at an early stage, thereby limiting its spread.
The UK government recognises the serious risks posed to health by growing resistance to currently available antibiotic treatments. It therefore fully supports research efforts into tackling AMR, with the aim of preventing the global spread of gonorrhoea and improving quality of life for those affected.
