ArticleThe Lancet. Global health2016
Global burden of maternal and congenital syphilis in 2008 and 2012: a health systems modelling study.
Article in The Lancet. Global health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 108 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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108 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 252 citations in OpenAlex.
- Estimated global and regional incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus infections and genital ulcer disease in 2020: mathematical modelling analyses.Sexually transmitted infections · 2025Pooled it
- Epidemiology of gonorrhoea: systematic review, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions, World Health Organization European Region, 1949 to 2021.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2024Pooled it
- Epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 2 in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review, meta-analyses and metaregressions.Sexually transmitted infections · 2021Pooled it
- Syphilis management in pregnancy: a review of guideline recommendations from countries around the world.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2019Pooled it
- Trends and Predictors of Syphilis Prevalence in the General Population: Global Pooled Analyses of 1103 Prevalence Measures Including 136 Million Syphilis Tests.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2018Pooled it
- Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis among women in sub-Saharan Africa: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 18 HIV prevention studies.PLoS medicine · 2018Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the performance and operational characteristics of dual point-of-care tests for HIV and syphilis.Sexually transmitted infections · 2017Pooled it
- Low male partner attendance after syphilis screening in pregnant women leads to worse birth outcomes: the Syphilis Treatment of Partners (STOP) randomised control trial.Sexual health · 2020Trial
- A multifaceted intervention to improve syphilis screening and treatment in pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Lusaka, Zambia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.The Lancet. Global health · 2019Trial
- Article
- "As long as you are married you cannot protect yourself against syphilis": qualitative exploration of syphilis risk perception and antenatal care seeking among pregnant women in Uganda.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Syphilis Exposure During Pregnancy and Childhood Hospital Admissions in Brazil.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Seroprevalence of syphilis and associated factors among pregnant women who attended antenatal care follow-up at public hospitals in Bahir Dar city, north-west Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with maternal and congenital syphilis - A prospective study in Peru.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2024Article
- Congenital Syphilis Prevention Challenges, Pacific Coast of Colombia, 2018-2022.Emerging infectious diseases · 2024Review
- Secondary syphilis in the third trimester of pregnancy.Clinical case reports · 2024Article
- External quality assessment to support the WHO ProSPeRo study for the evaluation of two dual HIV/syphilis point-of-care tests in seven countries.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Evaluation of a minimal array ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2024Article
- Benzathine penicillin G stockouts and other barriers to documented syphilis treatment in pregnancy in Zambia.PloS one · 2024Article
- Exploring Whether the Electronic Optimization of Routine Health Assessments Can Increase Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections and Provider Acceptability at an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service: Mixed Methods Evaluation.JMIR medical informatics · 2023Article
48 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn 2007, WHO launched a global initiative for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis (congenital syphilis). An important aspect of the initiative is strengthening surveillance to monitor progress towards elimination. In 2008, using a health systems model with country data inputs, WHO estimated that 1·4 million maternal syphilis infections caused 520 000 adverse pregnancy outcomes. To assess progress, we updated the 2008 estimates and estimated the 2012 global prevalence and cases of maternal and congenital syphilis.
methodsWe used a health systems model approved by the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. WHO and UN databases provided inputs on livebirths, antenatal care coverage, and syphilis testing, seropositivity, and treatment in antenatal care. For 2012 estimates, we used data collected between 2009 and 2012. We updated the 2008 estimates using data collected between 2000 and 2008, compared these with 2012 estimates using data collected between 2009 and 2012, and performed subanalyses to validate results.
findingsIn 2012, an estimated 930 000 maternal syphilis infections caused 350 000 adverse pregnancy outcomes including 143 000 early fetal deaths and stillbirths, 62 000 neonatal deaths, 44 000 preterm or low weight births, and 102 000 infected infants worldwide. Nearly 80% of adverse outcomes (274 000) occurred in women who received antenatal care at least once. Comparing the updated 2008 estimates with the 2012 estimates, maternal syphilis decreased by 38% (from 1 488 394 cases in 2008 to 927 936 cases in 2012) and congenital syphilis decreased by 39% (from 576 784 to 350 915). India represented 65% of the decrease. Analysis excluding India still showed an 18% decrease in maternal and congenital cases of syphilis worldwide.
interpretationMaternal and congenital syphilis decreased worldwide from 2008 to 2012, which suggests progress towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis. Nonetheless, maternal syphilis caused substantial adverse pregnancy outcomes, even in women receiving antenatal care. Improved access to quality antenatal care, including syphilis testing and treatment, and robust data are all important for achieving the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis.
fundingThe UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction in WHO, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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