Table 2.

Progress towards 2001 WHO research priorities: HSV-2 control measures

2001 WHO research priority: control measures	Has the priority been addressed?			Explanation
	Yes	Partially	No
Development of African reference laboratories to monitor aciclovir resistance				Only one study (literature review) focusing on aciclovir resistance78
Evaluation of the current syndromic management of GUD in areas of high HSV-2 prevalence (whether to add aciclovir)				Two studies evaluating the syndromic management of HSV-2 episodes76 77
Monitoring of the clinical/cost-effectiveness of aciclovir use in the syndromic management of GUD				No studies evaluating the cost effectiveness of episodic aciclovir as part of the syndromic approach
Trials of episodic therapy, measuring the effect on HIV shedding and HSV-2 shedding				Three clinical trials measured both HSV-2 and HIV shedding as an outcome60 76 77
Trials of episodic therapy, measuring the effect on HIV acquisition or transmission				No studies evaluating the effect of episodic HSV-2 therapy on HIV acquisition
Trials of suppressive therapy in high-risk groups, measuring the effect on HIV acquisition among individuals at high risk of infection				Only one of the HSV-2 suppressive therapy studies included HIV acquisition as a research outcome62
Lobby for investment in prophylactic vaccine development				Modest amount of research development in relation to prophylactic vaccine development
Develop locally administered vaccines				No studies published on locally administered vaccines for HSV-2
Evaluate counselling strategies for HSV-2-seropositive individuals				No identified studies on counselling for HSV-2-seropositive individuals
Include HSV-2 as an outcome in microbicide trials				Five studies evaluated the effect of topical microbicides on HSV-2, as well as other STIs100–104

GUD, genital ulcer disease; HSV-2, herpes simplex virus type 2; STIs, sexually transmitted infections.