In brief
The WHO’s new center will train STI prevention professionals for low‑ and middle‑income countries and develop point‑of‑care tests and surveillance tools. It aims to support 15 countries by 2030, with a focus on Africa and Southeast Asia. China’s partnership reflects its continued commitment to multilateral medical cooperation.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, the World Health Organization opened its new Collaborating Center for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention and Innovations in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province in southern China. The center is hosted by the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University (SMU) and the SMU Institute for Global Health.
Yang Bin, the center’s director, said it will conduct systematic, forward‑looking international cooperative research focused on capacity building, testing innovation and application, and surveillance system development.
“We will conduct systematic, forward‑looking international cooperative research focused on capacity building, testing innovation and application, and surveillance system development.”
By 2030 the center plans to train 100 senior STI prevention and control professionals for 15 low‑ and middle‑income countries, prioritizing Africa and Southeast Asia. It will develop a standardized training series and three to five practical, scalable strategies for point‑of‑care testing.
For surveillance, the center will create simple, easy‑to‑use data collection tools, test them in priority African countries, and build an operational data integration platform that can align with international systems.
“The center would further deepen its engagement in developing relevant international guidelines, contribute more research evidence, support STI surveillance and capacity building across countries globally, and provide expert advice to support global public health governance.”
China has long promoted medical cooperation, dispatching 1,061 medical personnel to 57 countries and treating more than 2.06 million patients in 2025. The country also helped malaria control in Africa and Southeast Asia and supported Cambodia and Laos in eliminating schistosomiasis.
