One million people diagnosed of STD every day – WHO 

More than one million new cases of four sexually transmitted infections (STIs) chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis (or trich) and syphilis, are contracted every day, according to figures released Thursday by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO finds on average that one in every 25 people globally has at least one of these STIs, sometimes known as STDs, among people aged 15-49 years. This amounts to more than 376 million new cases annually.

“We’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide,” said Peter Salama, executive director for Universal Health Coverage and the Life-Course at WHO. “This is a wake-up call for a concerted effort to ensure everyone, everywhere can access the services they need to prevent and treat these debilitating diseases.”

The report, based on 2016 global data, which are the latest available, shows that there were 127 million new cases of chlamydia in 2016, 87 million of gonorrhoea, 6.3 million of syphilis and 156 million of trichomoniasis.
STIs are transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex. Some can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth – notably chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. Syphilis can also be transmitted by coming into contact with infected blood.

If left untreated, these infections can have serious consequences – such as infertility in men and women, stillbirths, ectopic pregnancy and an increased risk of HIV.
Syphilis alone caused an estimated 200,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of baby loss globally.

And while all of these infections are treatable with antibiotics, shortages in the supply of enzathine penicillin have made it more difficult to treat syphilis and antimicrobial resistance to gonorrhoea treatments is also a growing health threat, the WHO said.

Larne Yusuf, a Lagos-based medical practitioner, says more awareness needs to be created in Nigeria to help as part of solution on reducing the spread of STDs, especially among young adults.
“We can slow down behavioural change in sexual practises in the country by abstinence and encouraging protected sex, because the more people are exposed to multiple sex partners, the more chances people are infected.

“I urge us to take promotion sexual health education to schools and communities and effective condom use, increase efforts to advance STI surveillance, and increase new treatments and diagnostics,” he advises.