To Örebro University

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhoea and gonococcal antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remain global public health concerns, and enhanced quality-assured global surveillance of gonococcal AMR is imperative to inform management guidelines and public health policies. We aimed to describe the results of surveillance of gonococcal AMR conducted globally by WHO and discuss the actions needed to retain our ability to treat gonorrhoea.

METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we present gonococcal AMR data reported to WHO by 77 countries between Jan 1, 2019, and Dec 31, 2022. Gonococcal isolates were tested for minimum inhibitory concentrations of one to four key antimicrobials (ceftriaxone, cefixime, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin) in each country. We used breakpoints for resistance and decreased susceptibility to antimicrobials from the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing or Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute.

FINDINGS: 29 (39%) of 75 participating countries reported at least one isolate with resistance or decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone, 28 (50%) of 56 reported resistance or decreased susceptibility to cefixime, 58 (88%) of 66 reported resistance to azithromycin, and 74 (99%) of 75 reported resistance to ciprofloxacin. Globally, azithromycin resistance is increasing, as is resistance or decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone and cefixime, especially in the WHO Western Pacific region. Resistance to ciprofloxacin remained very high globally. Since 2017-18, the numbers of reporting countries, examined isolates, and resistant isolates have increased. However, surveillance levels remain inadequate in central America and the Caribbean, eastern Europe, and the WHO African, Eastern Mediterranean, and South-East Asia regions.

INTERPRETATION: Global AMR surveillance conducted by WHO is expanding and, in selected countries, improving through standardisation and quality assurance, as well as implementation of extragenital sampling, test of cure, and whole-genome sequencing. This approach provides evidence-based data for management guidelines and public health policies. Improvements in prevention, early diagnosis, treatment of patients and their contacts, surveillance (of infection rates, AMR, treatment failures, and antimicrobial use), and antimicrobial stewardship are essential. WHO supports this work through several global action plans on AMR, new global gonorrhoea treatment recommendations, surveillance, and research.