Regional Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections 2007–2015

Worldwide, nearly one million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur each day, half of them in Asia. Where they are common, STIs are among the major causes of serious preventable conditions such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, cancer and congenital infections. Millions more incurable STIs add to the heavy burden of morbidity and mortality for women, men and children. Globally, unsafe sex ranks third among the morbidity risk factors, accounting for over 5% of attributable disease burden, and fifth for attributable mortality. For these reasons, interventions to prevent and control STIs are among the most cost-effective public health measures, which moreover contribute to achieving several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).