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Indicator name:
Syphilis ANC: Women accessing antenatal care (ANC) services who were tested for syphilis (%), reported
Short name:
Pregnant women tested for syphilis in ANC
Data type:
Percent
Indicator Id:
3248
Topic:
Health service coverage
Rationale:
Testing (screening) coverage, the prevalence of syphilis in women attending antenatal care services, and treatment coverage are all key indicators for assessing a country’s progress towards eliminating vertical transmission of syphilis. At the country level, these data can be used to identify areas with the greatest need for comprehensive congenital syphilis prevention interventions. At the global level, these data are also used to estimate the perinatal mortality and morbidity caused by syphilis that could be averted with effective programmes to eliminate vertical transmission of syphilis. Testing all pregnant women for syphilis early in pregnancy is important for the pregnant woman’s health and that of the foetus. This indicator also contributes to monitoring the quality of antenatal care and services to prevent sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) among pregnant women.
Definition:
Percentage of women attending antenatal care services who received syphilis testing.
Numerator: Number of women attending antenatal care services who were tested for syphilis.
Denominator: Number of women attending antenatal care services.
Method of measurement
All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first antenatal care visit. Countries unable to distinguish the first visit from testing at any visit should still report data on this indicator, but they should ensure that it is clearly reported as data for any visit. This indicator should be measured annually. Testing (screening) may be done using either a nontreponemal test (e.g., venereal disease research laboratory [VDRL] or rapid plasma reagin [RPR]) or a treponemal test (e.g., Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay [TPHA], Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay [TPPA], enzyme immunoassay or rapid treponemal test). For this indicator, having either type of test (treponemal or nontreponemal) is sufficient, although being tested with both is preferred. Ideally, national programme records aggregated from health-facility data should be used. However, if such data are not available, data from sentinel surveillance or special studies can be reported.
M&E Framework:
Output
Method of estimation:
Country reports to Global AIDS Monitoring (GAM) process (formerly Global AIDS response progress reporting (GARPR))
Other possible data sources:
Special studies
Preferred data sources:
Routine health information systems
Unit of Measure:
Not Applicable
Unit Multiplier:
Not Applicable
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Annual
Expected frequency of data collection:
Annual
Comments:
None
Contact person email:
jrowley@who.int
Name:
Jane Rowley
Links:
Global guidance on criteria and processes for validation: elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B virus
WHO guideline on syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women
Dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests can be used as the first test in antenatal care
Indicator Metadata Registry List
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