SDI History

The SDI was founded in 1990 in response to a widely-perceived need to improve care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in resource-limited settings through improved diagnostics. It is estimated that 80-90% of the global burden of STIs occurs in the developing world where there is limited or no access to diagnostics. In particular, there is an urgent need for improved diagnostics for STIs in HIV endemic areas as studies in sub-Saharan Africa have shown that STIs are important cofactors in the transmission of HIV infection.

The SDI secretariat had been housed in various agencies since its inception and has most recently moved from UNAIDS to the World Health Organization, where it is managed out of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). The placement of SDI in the Product Research and Development group of TDR allows the initiative to benefit from the considerable expertise in product development, evaluation and implementation in the group and to exploit synergies in the development of diagnostics for other communicable diseases.

SDI founding members