The WHO just launched the world's first open-access global database on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pulling together standardized prevalence data from low- and middle-income countries dating back to 2010. The database currently covers five STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, and trichomoniasis — and is designed to grow over time. The goal: give policymakers, researchers, and health programs the reliable data they need to fight STIs more effectively.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the first-ever global open-access database on STI prevalence, marking a major milestone in global sexual health surveillance. The platform consolidates standardized, quality-assured data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), drawing from both published and unpublished sources — all in one place. It's designed to cut through the long-standing challenge of fragmented, hard-to-access country- and population-specific STI data.
The database currently focuses on five STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), syphilis, and trichomoniasis. It spans a wide range of populations, including pregnant women, adolescents, sex workers, and STI clinic attendees, ensuring coverage across both general and higher-risk groups. As new studies are reviewed, the database will be updated and expanded to cover additional STIs.
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Why it matters: Reliable STI data has historically been scarce in LMICs, making it difficult to design targeted interventions or track progress. This database gives policymakers, national health programs, researchers, and funders a shared evidence base to build smarter, more effective responses to the global STI burden.
