In brief
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, WHO opened a new collaborating center for STI prevention in Guangzhou, China, directed by Yang Bin and hosted by Southern Medical University. The center plans to train 100 senior professionals by 2030 for 15 low‑ and middle‑income countries and develop testing strategies and data platforms for Africa and Southeast Asia. China’s ongoing cooperation with WHO includes deploying medical personnel globally and supporting disease‑control initiatives in the region.
On Saturday, November 7, 2026, the World Health Organization inaugurated its Collaborating Center for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention and Innovations in Guangzhou, South China, with director Yang Bin in attendance.
The center is hosted by the Dermatology Hospital and the Institute for Global Health of Southern Medical University. Yang Bin said that the facility will conduct systematic, forward‑looking international cooperative research focused on capacity building, testing innovation and application, and surveillance system development.
By 2030, the center aims to train 100 senior STI prevention and control professionals for 15 low‑and‑middle‑income countries, prioritizing Africa and Southeast Asia. It will develop three to five practical, scalable strategies to optimize point‑of‑care testing and create standardized, simple tools for STI surveillance. The tools will be piloted and locally applied in priority African countries, with a data integration and sharing platform that can align with international systems.
WHO spokesperson Hannah Monica Dias said the center would deepen WHO’s engagement in developing international guidelines, contribute more research evidence, and support global surveillance and capacity building. China has demonstrated commitment to multilateralism, dispatching 1,061 medical personnel to 57 countries in 2025 to provide services to more than 2.06 million patients and supporting malaria control efforts across Africa and Southeast Asia.
Under the China‑WHO Country Cooperation Strategy for 2022‑2026, the two sides have expanded collaboration, piloting people‑centered integrated healthcare delivery systems in China and aiding Cambodia and Laos in advancing schistosomiasis elimination.
