Public health impact and implications for future actions: WHO global consultation on the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1

Overview

The first WHO Global consultation on the Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was held during 13 to 15 November 2019, and was hosted by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

The objective of the consultation was to review existing global epidemiology, clinical and public health evidence on HTLV-1. The meeting reviewed existing evidence on: HTLV-1 epidemiology, transmission and diagnosis; health consequences of HTLV-1 infection; HTLV-1 prevention, testing, treatment and care interventions; and national policies and guidelines.

The meeting discussed the public health implications of HTLV-1 infection and disease, identified major gaps in knowledge requiring further research. The meeting made recommendations to WHO on developing methods of HTLV-1 surveillance, developing testing approaches, integration of HTLV-1 prevention into existing prevention strategies and programmatic guidance and policies, such as those for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and of prevention of mother-to-child infection (PMTCT).

The recommendations from this meeting will help to guide WHO’s further work on STIs, including HTLV-1 infection, both at the global and regional levels.