Italy reports sharp rise in bacterial STIs and over 110,000 HIV patients in 2024

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recorded a 303 % increase in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across the EU from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 the 28 EU/EEA countries reported 106,331 confirmed gonorrhoea cases – the highest since surveillance began in 2009 – and 45,577 syphilis cases, more than double the 2015 count. The agency warned of a growing trend of ceftriaxone‑resistant gonorrhoea and highlighted gaps in testing, with many countries still charging for basic STI tests, discouraging low‑income individuals from screening.

In Italy, a national surveillance project (CARPHA3) found that 110,000 people were receiving care for HIV in 2024, 73 % of them men and 63 % older than 50. Approximately 98 % were on antiretroviral therapy, and 78 % were Italian citizens. The data aim to support Italy’s progress toward the UNAIDS 95‑95‑95 targets.