PAHO delivers supplies to Cuba to combat syphilis

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has delivered educational materials and supplies to the Pedro del Toro Saad health area in Holguín, Cuba, to support the ECHO SYPHILIS project. This initiative aims to reduce the spread of syphilis among adolescents, pregnant women, and newborns across five Cuban provinces: Holguín, Havana, Matanzas, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba.

Funded by a two-million-euro grant from the European Union, the project is implemented in collaboration with UN agencies, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF. A key component of the program is the use of dual rapid blood tests that allow for the simultaneous detection of HIV and syphilis during a patient's initial healthcare contact.

Dr. Susana Borroto Gutiérrez, a PAHO consultant, noted that immediate penicillin treatment is administered upon a positive test to break the transmission chain and prevent severe outcomes such as pregnancy loss or congenital deformities. The project also targets high-risk municipalities characterized by high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.