Recently, at the STD Prevention Conference, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared preliminary data indicating that in the past five years, gonorrhea diagnoses have increased by 67 percent—and emerging antibiotic resistance to azithromycin is on the rise.
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has developed this new suite of communication tools to support the efforts of health departments and other partners who are critical to raising awareness and taking steps to prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. The toolkit includes:
- Key Facts for Public Health Leadership: This backgrounder provides an overview of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, why it’s an urgent public health threat, and how public health leaders can take action to prevent the spread of resistant strains in their communities.
- Talking Points for Public Health Leadership: The key messages and talking points in this guide provide health officials with compelling and concise messages about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Use these talking points when communicating with public health partners, healthcare professionals, consumers, the media, and other audiences.
- Customizable Slide Deck Template: This template presentation can be used to help public health leaders discuss antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea with a variety of audiences. Customize this presentation with your health department’s logo and information about your jurisdiction’s prevention efforts. Repurpose slides to incorporate messaging about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea in presentations about broader topics (e.g., infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance).
NACCHO encourages its members to use these resources to raise awareness about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. If you do use any of the resources, please use the evaluation links available here or contact Elizabeth Ruebush to provide feedback.
