Sexually transmitted infections continue to pose significant public health challenges, causing 2.5 million deaths each year globally.

This is according to a new World Health Organisation report issued on Tuesday.

In 2022, WHO member states set out a target to reduce the annual number of adult syphilis infections by tenfold by 2030, from 7.1 million to 0.71 million.

New syphilis cases among adults aged 15–49 increased by nearly one million in 2022, reaching eight million, with 230,000 syphilis-related deaths.