The contribution of Asian scientists to global research in andrology

To present a personal account of the involvement of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the collaborative development in Asia of those areas of andrology concerned with male contraception and reproductive health.

The andrology training through workshops and institution support undertaken by the WHO Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) and how they contributed to the strengthening of andrology research in Asia are summarised.

The author' s experience and the Asian scientific contributions to the global research in the following areas are reviewed: the safety of vasectomy and the development of new methods of vas occlusion; gossypol and its failure to become a safe, reversible male antifertility drug; Tripterygium and whether its pure extracts will pass through the appropriate toxicology and phased clinical studies to become acceptable contraceptive drugs; hormonal methods of contraception for men.

The WHO policy of research capacity building through training and institution strengthening, together with the collaboration of Asian andrologists, has created strong National institutions now able to direct their own programmes of research in clinical and scientific andrology.