WHO launches first global database to track STIs

The World Health Organisation has launched the world’s first global database on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections.

This provides countries with a centralised platform to access standardised and quality-assured data to strengthen disease surveillance and improve public health responses.

Announcing the initiative on Friday, the WHO said the open-access database is the first global platform to consolidate STI prevalence data from low- and middle-income countries collected from 2010 onwards.

The agency said the new resource addresses long-standing challenges in accessing reliable country- and population-specific data by bringing together both published and unpublished evidence from multiple sources in a single platform.

WHO’s Director of the Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, described the database as a significant milestone in the global fight against STIs.

“This database represents a first major step forward in our ability to understand the burden of sexually transmitted infections across diverse populations and settings.

“By making these data openly accessible, we are equipping countries and partners with the evidence needed to design targeted interventions, strengthen surveillance systems, and accelerate progress towards reducing the global impact of STIs,” Kasaeva said.

According to the WHO, the database currently covers five STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, and trichomoniasis, saying it is designed to expand as more evidence becomes available.

As of June 2026, the platform contains data from 766 studies, representing 2,453 prevalence data points collected from a wide range of populations and settings.

These include household surveys, studies involving pregnant women and adolescents, key populations, sex workers, attendees at STI clinics, as well as baseline data from intervention and case-control studies.

The WHO said only studies that met strict quality criteria were included in the database.

“These criteria include clearly defined population groups, adequate methodological information, sample collection conducted mostly from 2010 onwards, and study populations of at least 100 participants,” the global health body said.

According to the agency, the extensive evidence compiled in the database will help improve understanding of STI epidemiology in both the general population and groups at higher risk of infection.

The WHO noted that the platform will be updated regularly as new studies are published and reviewed, while its scope will be expanded to include additional STIs in response to emerging public health priorities.

The organisation said the database is intended to support policymakers, national disease control programmes, researchers, industry, community organisations, and funding agencies by providing better access to STI-related data.

It added that improved access to high-quality prevalence data will enable countries to develop evidence-based interventions, strengthen surveillance systems, and enhance regional and global estimates of STI burden and trends over time.