Epidemiological Review of Syphilis in the Americas, December 2021

At the 69th World Health Assembly in 2016, a commitment was made to reduce syphilis incidence by 90% globally between 2018 and 2030, and to reduce the incidence of congenital syphilis to less than 50 cases per 100,000 live births by 2030. The World Health Organization (WHO) published the Global Health Sector Strategy on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2016–2021 and set out global targets for ending the STI epidemic as a public health problem, with a major focus on syphilis. To promote progress toward syphilis and congenital syphilis elimination in the WHO Region of the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) presents this review of the epidemiological situation of syphilis in the Americas. It aims to inform public health policies and promote discussion between PAHO and governments, civil society, and other stakeholders, presenting relevant information on syphilis among adults (pregnant women, key populations, and general population), and screening, diagnosis, and treatment responses in the Region.