Policy & Regulations
Releasing new guidelines for treatment for the three diseases , the UN health agency said that the infections were becoming increasingly resistant due to “ misuse and overuse ” of antibiotics .
Doctors over-prescribing antibiotics and patients not taking the correct doses have also been associated with the resistance .
Chlamydia , gonorrhoea and syphilis are all caused by bacteria and are generally curable with antibiotics .
“ However , these STIs often go undiagnosed and are becoming more difficult to treat , with some antibiotics now failing as a result of misuse and overuse ,” said the WHO .
Globally , WHO estimates that more than one million people contract a sexually transmitted disease ( STD ) or infection ( STI ) every day .
Moreover , it is estimated that , each year , 131 million people are infected with chlamydia , 78 million with gonorrhoea , and 5.6 million with syphilis .
“ Chlamydia , gonorrhoea and syphilis are major public health problems worldwide , affecting millions of peoples ’ quality of life , causing serious illness and sometimes death ,” Ian Askew , WHO ’ s head of reproductive health and research division , said in a statement .
Dr Askew added that the new guidelines reinforce the need to treat the STIs with the right antibiotic , at the right dose , and the right time to reduce their spread and improve sexual and reproductive health .
“ To do that , national health services need to monitor the patterns of antibiotic resistance in these infections within their countries ,” he said .
In its revised guidelines for treating gonorrhea for example , doctors are advised to stop prescribing quinolones — a class of antibiotics previously effective in the treatment of gonorrhea — and use a different class of antibiotics known as cephalosporins .
Countries also need to update their national gonorrhoea treatment guidelines in response to the growing threat .
For treatment of syphilis , medics are advised to administer a single dose of benzathine penicillin ( a form of injectable antibiotic ).
But there has been stock outs of the drug in some countries due to short supply over the years .
“ WHO is calling on countries to start using the updated guidelines immediately , as recommended in the “ Global Health Sector Strategy for Sexually Transmitted Infections ( 2016-2021 )” endorsed by governments at the World Health Assembly in May 2016 ,” added the press statement .
“ The new WHO guidelines reinforce the need to treat these STIs with the right antibiotic , at the right dose , and the right time to reduce their spread and improve sexual and reproductive health . To do that , national health services need to monitor the patterns of antibiotic resistance in these infections within their countries ,” added Dr Askew .
This is the first such WHO update since 2003 , due in part to low past budgets and priority levels , and to growing scientific data .
78 Million INFECTIONS YEARLY
5.6 Million INFECTIONS YEARLY
131 Million INFECTIONS YEARLY syphilis gonorrhoea
chlamydia
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