Sodiq Ojuroungbe A new report by the World Health Organisation reveals that the highest increases in sexually transmitted infections have occurred in the Americas and the African regions. The global health body noted that the prevalence of STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis has significantly risen in recent years. According to the new WHO report, global HIV, viral hepatitis epidemics and sexually transmitted infections continue to pose significant public health challenges, causing 2.
5 million deaths each year. The report stated, “In 2022, WHO Member States set out an ambitious target of reducing the annual number of adult syphilis infections by ten-fold by 2030, from 7.1 million to 0.
71 million. Yet, new syphilis cases among adults aged 15-49 years increased by over 1 million in 2022 reaching 8 million.” The report noted that syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis account for over one million infections daily.
It further revealed that Acc, there is a surge in adult and maternal syphilis (1.1 million) and associated congenital syphilis (523 cases per 100,000 live births per year) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, there were 230,000 syphilis-related deaths and new data also showed an increase in multi-resistant gonorrhoea.
The report added, “As of 2023, out of 87 countries where enhanced gonorrhoea antimicrobial resistance surveillance was conducted, nine countries reported elevated levels (from 5% to 40%) resistance to ceft.
