Website
It is anticipated that the SDI website will be active by May, 2001. It will be hosted within the WHO website with links to other relevant websites. Web material is now in preparation. The SDI website tentatively consists of the SDI mission statement; an inventory of rapid sexually transmitted infections diagnostics; meeting reports; past issues of the Global Access; news updates. Anyone interested in working with SDI on the website is invited to contact Dr R. Peeling

Funding test development
A third year of funding for test development has been awarded to Dr James Mahony, Father Sean O'Sullivan Research Center, Hamilton, Canada. Dr Mahony has been awarded an SDI grant to develop and evaluate a self-contained, nucleic acid amplification test for the detection of multiple STDs. His progress report was reviewed by an SDI scientific review committee, which recommended a third year of funding.

Meeting reports
Meeting reports from the SDI meetings in Geneva, Jan 29-30, 2001 and in Atlanta, February 1, 2001 will be circulated to participants for comments. Final report will be posted on the SDI website for wider circulation.

Modeling test performance
A collaboration was initiated with modelers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Charlotte Watts and Peter Vickerman, to develop a mathematical models to assess the required performance of rapid diagnostic tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia for use as screening tools and as tools to support syndromic management.

ISSTDR, Berlin, June 24-27, 2001
WHO is sponsoring a symposium on The Public Health Impact of Rapid Sexually Transmitted Infections Diagnostics: Promises and Challenges, to be held on Monday June 25, 2001 from 11:15 to 12:45pm. The symposium will be co-chaired by Dr M Ball from the WHO Center in Zimbabwe and Dr R Peeling, WHO/SDI. The format for the symposium is that there will be 3 invited presentations and a panel discussion as follows:

1. Rapid Sexually Transmitted Infections Diagnostic Needs: a developing country perspective, to be given by Dr Patrick Matondo, Manager of the National Sexually Transmitted Infections program, Zambia

2. "Logistical Considerations In Implementation Of Rapid Testing Strategies For STD Control" to be given by Dr Edward Hook III, University of Alabama, USA

3. "Tools to Predict the Potential Impact of Rapid Diagnostic Tests: Explorations with the STDSIM model" to be given by Eline Korenromp, University of Rottendam, The Netherlands

Panel Discussion: Dr R Peeling, WHO/TDR/SDI, will lead off the panel discussion with a brief talk on WHO's efforts in this area.

Global Elimination of Chancroid
SDI has been invited to participate in a planning meeting to discuss strategies for the global elimination of chancroid, to be held in Berlin, immediately after the ISSTDR meeting.

Lab Evaluation
Preparations are ongoing for the laboratory-based evaluations of test performance and reproducibility on commercially available rapid tests for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. The results of these technical evaluations will be used to prioritize tests for field trials. Consultations with various national disease control and regulatory agencies on guidelines for evaluation are ongoing. SDI will post on the SDI website requests for laboratories wishing to participate in these technical evaluations and an ad hoc working group will be appointed to review applications.

Distribution of SDI News
SDI will be sending out bi-monthly electronic news updates, which will also be posted on the SDI website. If you know of anyone who wishes to receive SDI News by email, please send contact details to Dr R. Peeling