Home HEALTH Little progress in curbing STIs – WHO | Cape Times – Independent Online

Little progress in curbing STIs – WHO | Cape Times – Independent Online

by admin2 admin2
29 views
Little progress in curbing STIs – WHO | Cape Times – Independent Online

WANG JING, XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

Syphilis alone caused an estimated 200000 stillbirths and newborn deaths in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of baby loss globally.

Yet there are 6.3 million cases of syphilis in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which said more than a million cases of new curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were recorded daily.

The organisation said the STIs occurred among people aged 15-49 years old and amounted to more than 376 million new cases annually of four STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis.

The executive director for universal health coverage at the WHO, Dr Peter Salama, said: “We’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of STIs worldwide. 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.”

He added that STIs had a profound impact on the health of adults as well as 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’re also associated with significant levels of stigma and domestic violence.”

The organisation said since the last published data for 2012 there had been no substantive decline in the rates of either new or existing infections. On average, one in 25 people globally have at least one of these STIs, according to the latest figures, with some experiencing multiple infections at the same time.

“STIs spread predominantly through unprotected sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. Some – including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis – can also be transmitted during pregnancy and childbirth, or, in the case of syphilis, through contact with infected blood or blood products, and injecting drug use,” WHO said.

Earlier this year, the City said its healthcare facilities had experienced a slight drop in the number of STIs recorded at its facilities in the first half of 2018 (17122), compared to the same period in the previous year (17430). “Young women are taking charge of their reproductive health, accessing health services,” it said.

CAPE TIMES 

Read More

You may also like

Leave a Comment