STIs outbreak: WHO calls for increased funding services, focused efforts to scale-up prevention
September 6, 2022
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for increased funding services and focused efforts to scale-up prevention, testing and treatment services, and urges against stigmatization, blaming, or shaming.
Who in a statement at the 23rd ongoing International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) World Congress holding in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe with the theme Confronting Inequities in STI Prevention, Diagnostics and Care.
According to the statement, the key objective of the congress is to address the inequities experienced at the global level, with focus on low- and middle-income countries.
WHO noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries had reported low coverage for preventive, testing and treatment services related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which has led to a resurgence of STIs and the emergence of non-classical STIs globally.
Countries with good STI surveillance such as the United States and Canada have reported an increase in at least 3 STIs: syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Recent reports from different regions of the world have also reported increase in cases of congenital syphilis and syphilis especially among key populations.
Outbreaks of non-classical STIs spread by sexual contact such as Shigella sonnei, hepatitis A, Neisseria meningitidis, Zika and Ebola have been on the rise.
There were also reports on re-emergence of neglected STIs such as lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) among key populations and increasing Mycoplasma genitalium.
Since January 1, 2022 cases of monkey pox have increased exponentially in countries that are not endemic of the disease. Most reported cases have a history of sexual contact and the majority are identified in sexual health or STI clinics and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men.
Key shifts are required to end STIs as a public health concern by 2030. New models of STIs services need to be resilient and adaptive to current and future threats.
Recent scientific advances in STIs treatment and technologies, and innovative service delivery methods, provide an important opportunity to end STIs as a public health concern by 2030. However, large variations in investment, maturity and performance of STI surveillance systems between countries continues to be a challenge.
WHO calls for flexible approaches to addressing changing epidemics, with reinvigorated primary prevention efforts, identified and optimized opportunities to use differentiated service delivery models to meet the diverse needs of specific populations.