Announcing the 2026 Global Outreach Grant Recipients

The Global Outreach Committee is pleased to recognize five exceptional projects as recipients of the 2026 Global Outreach Grant. Selected from a strong and competitive group of applications, these initiatives stood out for their potential to contribute meaningfully to sexual health education and care in underserved communities worldwide. The five applications were selected with the aim of ensuring broad coverage in terms of geography, type of activity, target audience, reach, impact, and subject area.

The awarded projects are:

1. Identifying Priority Topics for Transcultural Sexual Health Education: A Multinational Needs Assessment
By Beatrice Cuzin
This project will be conducted in Kenya, Lebanon, Senegal, and Tunisia. Through structured questionnaires among healthcare professionals, the project aims to identify priority topics for transcultural sexual health education. The outcomes will be used to develop shared educational tools and support a digital platform tailored to local needs and cultural contexts.

"Receiving the ISSM Global Outreach Grant is a true honor for me, as coordinator, for all members of the group and a real opportunity to explore this topic that is so important to all of us. This project will be conducted in four countries: Kenya, Lebanon, Senegal, and Tunisia, to identify priority topics for Transcultural Sexual Health Education  The gap between cultural norms and actual practices will be studied in four countries selected for their complementary cultural contexts, which may help provide answers to the following question: “Are sexual health priorities among youth converging globally or remaining culturally distinct?” and finally It will help professionals monitor these changes through the development of shared and accessible tools and contribute to improvement of Sexual Health Education"

2. Hybrid Structured Capacity Strengthening in Sexual Medicine for Healthcare Professionals in Africa and Youth Social Media Communications Bootcamp for World Sexual Health Day 2026
By Tammary Rotich Esho
This project combines sexual medicine training for African healthcare professionals with a youth-focused social media communications bootcamp. It aims to strengthen clinical knowledge and counseling skills among healthcare providers while also supporting young social media champions in sharing accurate, culturally relevant sexual health information across Africa.

"This 12-month initiative which will addresses critical gaps in sexual health training and public awareness across Africa through a dual approach. It will deliver hybrid capacity-building training to 30–80 African healthcare professionals (HCPs) in clinical sexology, assessment, evidence-based counseling, and culturally sensitive care via online modules, assessments, and a regional masterclass in Nairobi. Concurrently, 25 young social media champions (aged 18–35) will participate in a virtual bootcamp and mentorship program focused on digital storytelling, content creation, campaign strategy, and stigma reduction, culminating in a pan-African awareness campaign targeting over 500,000 impressions for World Sexual Health Day 2027. Expected outcomes include enhanced HCP competence (≥40% increase in sex therapy/counseling confidence), sustainable networks via ASSM and Project ECHO, open-access toolkits, and strengthened advocacy, aligning with ISSM’s mission to expand sexual medicine in low- and middle-income regions".

3. SAFE-Teen: Structured Adolescent & Fertility Education for Teenage Boys in Urban & Semi-Urban India
By Parth Manek
This initiative focuses on improving sexual and reproductive health literacy among adolescent boys aged 13 to 19 in urban and semi-urban India. Through interactive workshops in schools and community settings, the project will address puberty, hygiene, myths, STIs, and early recognition of urological conditions, while also training teachers and primary care providers to support long-term impact.

"Receiving the ISSM Global Outreach Grant is an incredible honour and a profound responsibility. It reflects a shared belief that every adolescent deserves access to accurate, evidence-based sexual and reproductive health education. Through SAFE-Teen, I hope to empower young boys with knowledge, break longstanding stigma, and help build a future where conversations about sexual health are informed, respectful, and free of shame".

4. Bilingual (Portuguese and Spanish) Microlearning Educational Program on Female Sexual Dysfunction for Early-Career Physicians in Brazil and Latin America
By Eduardo Miranda
This 12-month project will develop a bilingual Portuguese and Spanish microlearning program on female sexual dysfunction for early-career physicians in Brazil and Latin America. The program will include short videos, clinical algorithms, patient handouts, webinars, and case discussions to improve knowledge, confidence, and practical readiness in routine care.

"This project and the ISSM Global Outreach Grant represent a meaningful opportunity for SLAMS to expand access to practical, culturally adapted sexual medicine education across Latin America. More than an individual initiative, this is the result of a truly collaborative effort involving colleagues from different specialties — Dr. Estela Citrin, Dr. Michelle Sampaio, Dr. Lucas Campos, Dr. Luis Felipe Savio, and our broader SLAMS team. Together, we hope to empower early-career physicians to address female sexual dysfunction with greater knowledge, confidence, and sensitivity, while also positively impacting patients by providing clearer information, reducing stigma, and improving access to compassionate, evidence-based sexual health care".

5. I Central Asian Meeting of Sexual Medicine & ESSM Summer School
By Daniar Osmonov
Taking place in Kyrgyzstan, this project supports the first Central Asian Meeting of Sexual Medicine and ESSM Summer School. The meeting will bring together regional and international experts to strengthen sexual medicine education, professional exchange, and collaboration across Central Asia, with a focus on improving access to high-quality training for local healthcare professionals.

“I am honored to receive the ISSM Global Outreach Grant. It will contribute to the organization of the First Summer School of Sexual Medicine in Bishkek, developed in collaboration with ESSM and scheduled for July 2026".

We look forward to following the progress of these inspiring projects over the coming year and sharing their outcomes as they contribute to advancing global sexual health.