The World Health Organization (WHO) has inaugurated a new collaborating centre in southern China to strengthen international efforts to prevent and control sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The new Collaborating Center for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention and Innovations was officially launched on Saturday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province.

The initiative aims to improve medical training, develop innovative testing technologies and strengthen disease surveillance systems in countries facing challenges in controlling sexually transmitted infections.

The centre is hosted by the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University and the university’s Institute for Global Health.

New Centre Targets Global Public Health Challenges

The establishment of the WHO collaborating centre represents an important step towards expanding international cooperation in sexual health and infectious disease prevention.

Yang Bin, director of the centre, said its work would focus on international research, healthcare capacity building, diagnostic innovation and the development of effective surveillance systems.

The organisation intends to support countries that lack sufficient medical infrastructure and specialised healthcare professionals to manage sexually transmitted infections.

Its activities will focus particularly on Africa and Southeast Asia, where improving access to testing, diagnosis and treatment remains an important public health priority.

Training 100 Medical Professionals by 2030

One of the centre’s major objectives is to strengthen the professional skills of healthcare workers in developing countries.

According to its plans, the institution aims to train 100 senior professionals specialising in STI prevention and control by 2030.

These specialists will come from 15 low- and middle-income countries.

The training programme will help improve medical knowledge, strengthen disease-management systems and support the development of more effective national prevention strategies.

Building a skilled healthcare workforce is particularly important in countries where limited medical resources can delay diagnosis and treatment.

Improving Access to Modern Diagnostic Technology

Another major priority will be improving point-of-care testing.

These diagnostic methods allow healthcare professionals to identify infections more quickly without relying entirely on large laboratory facilities.

The centre plans to develop between three and five practical and scalable strategies to improve the use of these testing technologies.

Better diagnostic access could help healthcare systems identify infections earlier, reduce delays in treatment and strengthen disease prevention.

The initiative will also explore ways to adapt testing approaches to different healthcare environments and local requirements.

Building Stronger Disease Surveillance Systems

The new centre will also work on improving international STI monitoring and reporting systems.

It plans to develop standardised, straightforward data collection tools that can help healthcare authorities monitor infection patterns more effectively.

Pilot programmes will be introduced in selected African countries to test and adapt these systems to local conditions.

The longer-term objective is to establish an operational platform that allows countries to integrate and share relevant health information while maintaining compatibility with international surveillance systems.

Improved disease monitoring can help governments identify emerging health challenges, understand infection trends and plan appropriate public health responses.

WHO Highlights Importance of International Cooperation

Hannah Monica Dias of the WHO welcomed the establishment of the centre, highlighting its potential contribution to international public health cooperation.

She said the institution would support the development of international guidelines, contribute scientific research and strengthen STI surveillance and healthcare capacity in different countries.

The centre is also expected to provide technical expertise to support global public health policymaking.

International cooperation is particularly important because infectious diseases do not respect national borders. Sharing scientific knowledge, diagnostic methods and healthcare expertise can help countries strengthen their responses to common health threats.

China’s Expanding Role in International Medical Assistance

The inauguration also highlights China’s growing involvement in international healthcare cooperation.

According to Xinhua, China dispatched 1,061 medical personnel to 57 countries during 2025, providing medical services to more than 2.06 million patients.

The country has also supported malaria prevention and control programmes in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

Under the China-WHO Country Cooperation Strategy for 2022–2026, both sides have expanded collaboration in several areas of healthcare development.

Joint initiatives have included people-centred integrated healthcare programmes in China and disease-control projects in countries such as Cambodia and Laos.

Conclusion

The inauguration of the WHO collaborating centre in Guangzhou marks a new development in international efforts to strengthen sexually transmitted infection prevention and control.

Through medical training, diagnostic innovation and improved disease surveillance, the institution aims to help developing countries build stronger healthcare systems.

Its target of training 100 senior professionals from 15 countries by 2030 demonstrates the importance placed on long-term capacity building.

As global public health challenges continue to evolve, cooperation between international organisations, universities and national healthcare systems will remain essential for improving access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.