The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched the world’s first global database on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), providing countries with a centralised platform to strengthen disease surveillance and guide public health responses.
The WHO announced the initiative on Friday, describing the open-access database as the first global platform to consolidate standardised, quality-assured STI prevalence data from low- and middle-income countries collected since 2010.
According to the organisation, the database addresses long-standing challenges in accessing reliable country- and population-specific information by bringing together both published and unpublished data from multiple sources into a single platform.
WHO Director of the Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, described the initiative as a major milestone in the global response to STIs.
“This database represents a major step forward in our ability to understand the burden of sexually transmitted infections across diverse populations and settings,” Kasaeva said.
“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.”
The database currently includes data on five sexually transmitted infections — chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis and trichomoniasis — and is expected to expand as more evidence becomes available.
As of June 2026, it contained information from 766 studies, representing 2,453 prevalence data points collected across a broad range of populations and settings.
These include household surveys, studies involving pregnant women and adolescents, key populations, sex workers, attendees at STI clinics, and baseline data from intervention and case-control studies.
The WHO said only studies meeting strict quality standards 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 organisation said.
According to the WHO, the database will improve understanding of STI epidemiology in both the general population and groups at higher risk of infection, while supporting more accurate national, regional and global estimates of disease burden.
The organisation said the platform will be updated regularly as new research becomes available and will gradually expand to include additional sexually transmitted infections in response to emerging public health priorities.
It added that the database is intended to support policymakers, national disease control programmes, researchers, industry, community organisations and funding agencies by providing easier access to high-quality STI prevalence data for evidence-based decision-making.
