PAHO aids Cuba in renewed fight against syphilis
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Officials from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) delivered educational materials and fumigation equipment to the Pedro del Toro Saad health area in Holguín, Cuba, as part of the ECHO SYPHILIS project.
The project seeks to reduce the spread of syphilis among pregnant women, adolescents, and newborns in five Cuban provinces, Havana, Matanzas, Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín, which have high rates of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
PAHO is implementing dual rapid blood tests to detect both HIV and syphilis from the start of prenatal care, allowing for quick diagnosis through a simple finger prick. When a pregnant woman tests positive for syphilis, she and her sexual partner receive penicillin treatment to stop the infection from spreading and to protect the baby from congenital deformities or pregnancy loss.
The two-million-euro project, funded by the European Union and coordinated with UN agencies like UNFPA and UNICEF, also provides supplies for penicillin allergies and supports sexual and reproductive education to lower teenage pregnancy rates. Cuba previously eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in 2015, a status confirmed by the World Health Organization in May.
However, shortages of essential supplies like condoms, reagents, and medicines now threaten this progress, and officials recently noted a rise in STIs in the Pinar del Río province. The ECHO SYPHILIS project aims to address these challenges and sustain Cuba’s gains in public health.
