Testing of antenatal care attendees for syphilis
Antenatal care attendees tested for syphilis at first visit (%)
Syphilis testing and treatment can effectively prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes related to syphilis. Syphilis testing of all pregnant women is part of the recommended basic antenatal care (ANC) package recommended by WHO. However, not all women are tested for syphilis in pregnancy. In order to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of syphilis, countries should test at least 95% of pregnant women for syphilis at first ANC visit.
Antenatal care attendees positive for syphilis (%)
Untreated syphilis in pregnancy leads to adverse outcomes among more than half the women with active disease, including stillbirth, low birthweight/prematurity, neonatal death, and congenital disease in the newborn. An estimated 1.4 million pregnant women were infected with syphilis in 2008.