Family Health BureauMinistry of Health

Overall goal:To ensure that congenital syphilis is no longer a public health problem

Specific goal:To prevent transmission of syphilis from mother to child and thereby reduce the incidence of congenital syphilis

Early initiation of ANC and universal screening of all pregnant women, and prompt treatment of all seropositive women

Treatment of partners of seropositive women, promotion of condom use, and education and counseling to prevent infection/ reinfection

Prophylactic treatment of all infants born to seropositive women

Ensure advocacy and political commitment for a successful health initiative

Increase access to and quality of maternal and newborn health services

Screen and treat all seropositive pregnant women and their partners

Establish surveillance, monitoring and evaluation system

Anti VD campaign (Now NSACP) was established in 1952 and antenatal screening for syphilis became a formalized intervention (This intervention was there even before) and integrated into MCH services

Antenatal screening for syphilis – 99.3% (FHB 2012)

Percentage of pregnant women registered for antenatal care before 12 weeks – 93.5% (FHB 2012)

Percentage screened from the government sector- 57%

Others from the private sector. Quality of the testing is an issue

Information of syphilis screening of pregnant women includes in routine HIMS

Routinely monitor the coverage of syphilis screening at national and district levels

Routine ANC visit

Collect blood for syphilis screening

Blood testing at STD

clinics/Hospitals

Inform about seropositive

women to MOH

MOH refer seropositive

women to STD clinic

Management at STD clinic

Back referral to MOH/ VOG

Team comprise of officers from FHB and NSACP the meeting held in New Delhi in 2009

Decide to adhere to the WHO/UNICEF proposed 4 pronged strategy for further strengthening the program

NSACP and FHB Developed the strategy for elimination of congenital syphilis in Sri Lanka

Hand book on “Prevention of mother to child transmission of syphilis infection” for PHC staff available in all three languages

IEC Material - Ceiling Banners

Information on the importance of antenatal screening for syphilis and VDRL test

Strengthening M&E by incorporating more information on syphilis screening to routine MIS (POA, place of testing, date of result, date of referral etc.) and pregnancy record

Monitoring of progress through annual MCH reviews

Motivating MOH and MO-MCH in increasing the syphilis screening coverage from the government sector

Thank you…