BASHH Statement on the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2024

12 December 2024 (Last updated: 12 Dec 2024 13:49)

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) welcomes the Chief Medical Officer’s 2024 Annual Report published today – Health in Cities – which highlights the unique health challenges and opportunities faced by urban populations across England. The report highlights the growing challenge of increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), against a background of weakened support for crucial STI services.

Professor Matt Phillips, BASHH President, commented:

“BASHH welcomes today’s CMO report and its recognition of worrying increases in rates of newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across England. These are being seen against a backdrop of disinvestment and weakened STI services across the country.  

Gonorrhoea diagnoses in England are at the highest ever recorded, syphilis is at levels not seen since the 1940’s, and progress on HIV is slowing. BASHH echoes the report’s vital call for healthcare planning to urgently address the sexual health needs of young people. We also urge action to address the broader inequalities in access to STI care and outcomes experienced across different ages and demographics. We need to turn this around through effective and comprehensive cross-system collaboration between all parts of the healthcare system. Equitable access to high-quality STI services including Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) is key. Without this we won’t reach the goal of ending HIV transmissions by 2030.

The report further reinforces the importance of proactive, responsive systems, as demonstrated by the management of Mpox outbreaks. Expert clinical GUM services remain a cornerstone of effective responses, and the lessons learned from recent years must be heeded. Additionally, we draw attention to the critical need for realising the benefits of new innovations. The CMO’s report rightly points to the 4CMenB ) vaccine which is effective for gonorrhoea at population level  – but this is not yet commissioned despite enormous evidenced potential and clear recommendation from the JCVI.

The forthcoming 10 Year Plan for the NHS represents a key opportunity for embedding sexual health as a core part of the wider approach to community-based prevention and BASHH is committed to working alongside the Government and system partners to make Professor Whitty’s recommendations a reality.”

Access the full CMO Annual Report, here.

Access BASHH’s Four Priorities for the New Government, here.