Guidance on Syphilis Testing in Latin America and the Caribbean
The ongoing initiative to combat this condition is based on four pillars:
(i) ensuring sustained political commitment and advocacy for the elimination effort;
(ii) increasing access to and quality of maternal and newborn health services;
(iii) screening all pregnant women for syphilis and promptly treating those who are positive; and
(iv) having adequate surveillance, monitoring and evaluation procedures in place ideally integrated within or building upon existing health care and health information systems.
While strong antenatal programs can identify and treat individual cases to prevent congenital syphilis, the syndrome cannot be eliminated without addressing syphilis prevalence among all reproductive-aged women in the community. Thus, to be most effective, a country response would work to reduce sexual transmission of syphilis within the community through prompt identification and treatment of early infections, as well as identification and treatment of all sexual partners.
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