In time: the persistence of congenital syphilis in Brazil – More progress needed!

Despite decades of epidemiologic and clinical experience with maternal and congenital syphilis, both remain major public health problems in Brazil and in the rest of the Americas.In 2010 and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Member States approved the Strategy and Plan of Action for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Congenital Syphilis with the goal of reducing the incidence of congenital syphilis to ≤0.5 cases per 1000 live births by 2015. 1 In 2014, 17,400 cases (1.3/1000 live births) of congenital syphilis were reported in the Americas, and 17 countries may have eliminated maternal-to-child transmission of syphilis. 2Despite some progress, Brazil did not meet the congenital syphilis elimination goal but rather, the epidemic rages on, resulting in substantial fetal and neonatal mortality.In 2010, 6916 cases (2.27/1000 live births) of congenital syphilis were reported to the Brazilian Ministry of Health and PAHO, while in 2013, the number of cases increased to 13,705 (4.70/1000 live births) before decreasing to 6793 cases in 2014. 2,3ongenital syphilis is a preventable disease, and there must be zero tolerance for its occurrence as even one case represents a failure of the public health system.Health care professionals know what must be done to