Everyday, there are more than one million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections among people aged 15-49 years, according to data released by the World Health Organisation.

This amounts to more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections–chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis.

“We’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide,” said WHO’s Executive Director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life-Course, Dr. Peter Salama.

He added: “This is a wake-up call for concerted effort to ensure everyone, everywhere can access the services they need to prevent and treat these debilitating diseases.

Published online by WHO Bulletin, the research showed that, among men and women aged 15–49 years, there were 127 million new cases of chlamydia in 2016, 87 million of gonorrhoea, 6.3 million of syphilis and 156 million of trichomoniasis.

“These STIs have a profound impact on the health of adults and children worldwide.

“If untreated, they can lead to serious and chronic health effects that include neurological and cardiovascular disease, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirths, and increased risk of HIV. They are also associated with significant levels of stigma and domestic violence,” the bulletin explained.

Syphilis alone caused an estimated 200,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of baby loss globally.

STIs remain persistent and endemic health threat worldwide. Since the last published data for 2012, there has been no substantive decline in either the rates of new or existing infections.

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