The WHO analyzed the annual total of new cases worldwide for four STIs in 2016: chlamydia (127 million cases), gonorrhoea (87 million), syphilis (6.3 million) and trichomoniasis (156 million). These figures amount to 376 million new STI cases annually, marking little improvement since data on infection rates were last released in 2012.
All four STIs are curable. However, global shortages of benzathine penicillin have recently posed a challenge in treating syphilis. Increasing rates of antibiotic resistance have also threatened efforts to curb gonorrhoea.
The data provide a basis for evaluating the World Health Assembly’s progress on its goal to eliminate STIs as a public health concern by 2030.
To combat the spread of STIs, the WHO recommends prevention measures such as safe sexual practices, early treatment of infections and syphilis screening for pregnant women.
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