Congenital syphilis epidemiological analysis before and after the implementation of Stork Network, Espírito Santo state, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction:
Syphilis is characterized as a public health issue affecting more than one million pregnant women per year worldwide and leading to more than 300,000 fetal and neonatal deaths. Objective: Describing the incidence of congenital syphilis (CS) from 2008 to 2011 and from 2012 to 2015, based on health zones in Espírito Santo (ES) State, by taking into consideration the implementation of the Stork Network policy. Methods: Descriptive study based on secondary data about congenital syphilis provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS). Descriptive analysis of CS cases was carried out based on absolute and relative frequency calculations. In addition, CS incidence rates were calculated in order to compare the behavior of these rates before and after the implementation of the Stork Network per health zone. Results: 2,015 CS cases were reported in Espírito Santo State from 2008 to 2015. Of them, 26% were recorded in the first triennium, whereas 74% were recorded in the second triennium. CS incidence rate recorded in Espírito Santo State was higher than the national rate. Conclusion: Maternal and child features pointed toward low prenatal care efficaciousness; this outcome indicates that the implementation of the Stork Network did not lead to effective improvements in this strategic component.