New figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show sexually transmitted infections are rising sharply across Europe, with gonorrhoea and syphilis reaching their highest recorded levels in more than a decade. Health officials are particularly alarmed by the near doubling of congenital syphilis cases, where infection is passed from mother to child during pregnancy.
According to ECDC data for 2024, gonorrhoea cases rose by 303% compared with 2015, reaching more than 106,000 cases, while syphilis infections more than doubled to over 45,000. Chlamydia remains the most commonly reported bacterial STI, with more than 213,000 cases recorded.
“Sexually transmitted infections have been on the rise for 10 years and reached record high levels in 2024,” said…

