Syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis and their relationship with Family Health Strategy coverage, Goiás, Brazil, 2007-2014: an ecological study.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the incidence of syphilis in pregnant women (SPW) and congenital syphilis (CS) and the correlation of these indicators with Family Health Strategy (FHS) coverage in Goiás, Brazil, from 2007 to 2014.

METHODS

this was an ecological study using Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) data and data from the Health Ministry's Department of Primary Care; Spearman's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between FHS coverage and syphilis incidence.

RESULTS

SPW incidence increased from 2.8 to 9.5/1,000 live births, while CS incidence increased from 0.3 to 2.5/1,000 live births (p<0.05) in the period 2007-2014; there was a significant increase in CS cases in municipalities with percentage FHS coverage below 75% (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

the concomitant increase in SPW and CS incidence suggests failures in the prevention of vertical transmission of syphilis, especially in regions with lower FHS coverage.