The EU health authority ECDC reports a rapid increase in cases of sexually transmitted diseases. The high number of cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are “worrying”.
The EU health authority ECDC is sounding the alarm about a “worrying” increase in sexually transmitted diseases in Europe. As the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control announced, the number of cases of gonorrhea, also known as gonorrhea, rose to 70,881 reported cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEC) in 2022. This is 48 percent more than in the previous year.
Syphilis increased by 34 percent to 35,391 cases in the same period. The increase in chlamydia in the 27 countries examined was 16 percent: 216,508 cases of the sexually transmitted bacterial infection were reported.
increase is “worrying”
“This increase is astonishing and it is worrying,” ECDC director Andrea Ammon said at a press conference in Stockholm. “These numbers, as high as they are, are very likely just the tip of the iceberg,” she added, citing national differences in testing and access to care.
The ECDC emphasized that chlamydia, like gonorrhea and syphilis, are treatable. However, if left untreated, these infections could lead to serious health complications.
More prevention and education
According to Ammon, in order to reduce the number of infections and their consequences, it is urgent to “strengthen prevention strategies and comprehensive health education” in Europe. The offerings for “tests, treatment and prevention” must be expanded, which could “reverse the trend”. “Rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases in Europe require our immediate attention and coordinated action,” warned the ECDC boss.
