§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department is carrying out into treatments for gonorrhoea; and if he will make a statement. [61072]
§ Ms BlearsAppropriate antibiotic treatment should cure all uncomplicated gonococcal infections. However, increasing antimicrobial resistance undermines the effectiveness of treatment and means that the range of drugs available to treat the disease is reduced. We are funding a three-year project, the gonococcal resistance to antimicrobials surveillance programme (GRASP), to develop a national network to systematically monitor levels of antimicrobial resistance in England and Wales.
This enhanced surveillance programme provides a range of data that cannot be obtained from current surveillance systems and a means for more detailed monitoring of disease epidemiology. In addition, the clinical data and outcomes provide a mechanism for monitoring quality of clinical care, adherence to antibiotic prescribing policies and treatment guidelines.