Blog #1 Syphilis and HIV co-infection in Africa

   In sub-Saharan Africa, the co-infection of Syphilis and HIV is a serious issue. Even worse, Syphilis can double the chances of spreading HIV to an unborn fetus.  In areas where resources are limited, these diseases are a major cause of death among women and children. "Untreated syphilis during pregnancy is associated with a number of negative outcomes, such as stillbirth, premature delivery, low birth weight and infant death." Although Syphilis is treatable (with penicillin) it is known as a silent killer because symptoms may not be noticeable.  In countries like Uganda and Zambia Syphilis testing is not as accessible as that of HIV and even when tested, many women do not return to receive the results of their tests causing them to unknowingly pass the disease to their unborn child. "In Uganda, 14.3 percent of syphilis-positive pregnant women also tested positive for HIV, and the rate was 24.2 percent in Zambia".  Policies for screenings for these diseases have been put in place in these areas but are not strongly enforced (so what's the point??).  In addition, testing supplies are limited and very few staff members at clinics are trained to screen for Syphilis.  More recently, new faster tests have been introduced and more health professionals have been instructed on the techniques making the tests more accessible and providing rapid results.  As a result of rapid syphilis testing, there has been quick and direct policy change in Uganda and Zambia to further the goal of eliminating congenital syphilis and pediatric HIV and AIDS. The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that the scale-up of both PMTCT and the prevention of congenital syphilis is a winnable battle.
   I feel that, if these diseases are controlled in the U.S., then it is most definitely possible to wipe them out in underprivileged countries. I know Americans learn about these diseases starting from a young age in school and in the media, causing us to stay aware and conscious of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases. Although these countries are not able to do take these precautionary measures like we can, they need to make it a priority in order to save their population.
 1/19/12-5:30pm
http://www.globalhealthmagazine.com/summary/fighting_syphilis_and_hiv/