The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide is increasing and is a “major concern” for health officials, according to a new report released Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report finds that four treatable STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis – are responsible for more than a million infections per day among adults aged 15 to 49. Cases of syphilis, in particular, increased rapidly.
The number of new syphilis cases among adults aged 15 to 49 increased from 7.1 million in 2020 to 8 million in 2022, according to the report.
There has also been an increase in the rate of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a baby is born with the infection after their mother passed it on during pregnancy. Between 2020 and 2022, the rate per 100,000 live births per year increased from 425 to 523.
Global trends mirror those observed in the United States. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this year found that the total number of syphilis cases increased by more than 17% to 207,255 between 2021 and 2022, reaching the highest number of reported cases since 1950 .
Computer illustration of Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis.
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The report also reveals that cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea are increasing, which is described as “concerning.” In 2023, nine countries reported high levels – 5% to 40% – of resistance to ceftriaxone, considered a last-line treatment for gonorrhea.
The data highlights a lack of screening for the rise in STIs as well as other problems, including a lack of access to care. Additionally, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have likely delayed testing for many people.
“There is serious concern about the increasing incidence of syphilis,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Fortunately, significant progress has been made on a number of other fronts, including accelerating access to essential health products, including diagnostics and treatments.”
“We have the tools to end these epidemics that pose a threat to public health by 2030, but we must now ensure that, in the context of an increasingly complex world, countries do everything they can to achieve the ambitious goals they have set for themselves,” the report said. » the statement continued.
Not all trends have followed an upward trajectory: In 2022, the number of people newly infected with HIV worldwide fell from 1.5 million to 1.3 million, according to the report. However, the WHO notes that certain populations – men who have sex with men; injecting drug users; sex workers; transgender people; and those currently in prison or other closed settings – continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV.
In a press release, WHO noted progress in expanding services for STIs, HIV and hepatitis and several countries have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis.
To bring rates down, the report outlines some recommendations, including accelerating efforts to decriminalize and destigmatize those affected by STIs and other infections, as well as strengthening the focus on primary prevention, diagnosis and treatment to raise awareness of STIs and infections.
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