SYPHILIS FIGHT TAKEN INTO COMMUNITIES

Health Ministry says hospital-based interventions alone cannot stop rising infections as Zambia launches Stop Syphilis Campaign

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 22-09-2026 — Government, in partnership with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has launched a campaign to step up the fight against syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with the Ministry of Health calling for stronger community-based action to curb the rising infections.

Director of Clinical Care and Diagnostics Dr. Lisulo Walubuta, representing Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Lishimpi, said Zambia must take syphilis prevention, testing and treatment services closer to communities if the country is to make meaningful progress in controlling the infection.

Dr. Walubuta was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of the Stop Syphilis Campaign, an initiative aimed at increasing awareness, testing and treatment while strengthening prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

He said syphilis remains a serious public health concern despite being a curable disease, stressing the need for communities to embrace testing rather than fear the infection.

“Syphilis is serious, but it is curable. Instead of being afraid of it, we should all get tested,” Dr. Walubuta said.

He said health messages must be delivered in simple and clear language that ordinary people can understand, rather than being designed primarily for healthcare workers.

Dr. Walubuta said the continued presence of syphilis in communities points to gaps in health programming and promotion, which he said must move beyond health facilities and reach people where they live.

“Unless we take these control measures into communities and make them part and parcel of community life, no matter how many or how sophisticated the programmes and tests we introduce, we will not be able to achieve control of syphilis,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Health was therefore encouraged by its partnership with organisations such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and other stakeholders in taking prevention and control measures into communities.

Dr. Walubuta said the situation was particularly concerning among people aged between 15 and 49, who constitute a significant reproductive-age population.

He said the increase in syphilis infections among pregnant women was especially worrying because untreated infections can result in serious consequences, including miscarriages, stillbirths and congenital syphilis in newborns.

“No child should enter life burdened by a disease that is curable and that the nation has the power to eliminate,” Dr. Walubuta said.

He said the Stop Syphilis Campaign was designed not only to increase uptake of syphilis testing and treatment, but also to improve public awareness on prevention of STIs generally.

Dr. Walubuta said condom distribution alongside testing would form part of the campaign because condoms are an important means of preventing syphilis and other STIs.

He said the Ministry would continue strengthening the supply chain to ensure consistent availability of testing kits and treatment in health facilities.

The Ministry would also enhance training for health workers in syphilis case management, improve data systems for real-time monitoring and mobilise resources to sustain the campaign beyond its launch, he said.

Dr. Walubuta urged healthcare workers to integrate syphilis screening into relevant points of care, including antenatal clinics, outpatient departments and community outreach programmes.

He further called on cooperating partners to continue providing technical and financial support to help close gaps in testing, treatment and reporting.

“Together, we can close the gaps in testing, treatment and better reporting,” Dr. Walubuta said.

He subsequently declared the Stop Syphilis Campaign officially launched.

 AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Zambia country programs mamager Dr Webster Chewe has warned that syphilis remains a serious public health concern because many people can carry and transmit the infection without knowing they have it.

Dr Chewe said the infection was preventable, detectable, treatable and curable, but people continued to acquire and unknowingly transmit syphilis, with some only seeking medical attention after developing serious complications.

He said the silent nature of the infection was particularly concerning because symptoms could disappear while the disease remained in the body.

Dr Chewe said untreated syphilis could affect the brain and nervous system, eyes and hearing, while advanced infection could lead to serious heart conditions and other organ complications.

He said one of the greatest concerns was the impact of untreated syphilis during pregnancy, as the infection could be transmitted from mother to child and contribute to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, neonatal deaths and congenital syphilis.

“A child with congenital syphilis may have serious complications affecting the bones, hearing and many other parts of the body,” Dr Chewe said.

He said it was particularly painful that such complications could be prevented because syphilis could be diagnosed and cured when detected early.

Dr Chewe was speaking in Lusaka during the launch of an AHF Zambia campaign aimed at increasing awareness, testing and treatment for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

He said AHF’s experience through its Wellness Centres had demonstrated the need for more deliberate efforts to identify people with syphilis before they developed symptoms or complications.

AHF Zambia operates three Wellness Centres, two in Lusaka and one on the Copperbelt, namely Chifundo Wellness Centre in Chaisa, Lusungu Town Centre and New Masara Wellness Centre in Ndola.

Dr Chewe said the centres were recording a significant burden of STIs, with about nine percent of clients testing positive for syphilis.

He stressed that the figure was based on biologically confirmed syphilis and not simply rapid screening results.

“That tells us that when we are deliberately looking for syphilis, we are definitely going to find it,” Dr Chewe said.

He said relying on people to present with symptoms would result in many infections being missed because syphilis could remain silent.

Dr Chewe said AHF Zambia had invested close to US$6 million in the Wellness Centres since their establishment in 2024.

He said the investment covered infrastructure, human resources, diagnostic services, commodities, community outreach, HIV and STI testing and treatment, condoms, linkage to care and other services.

According to Dr Chewe, AHF was making the investment because sexual health services needed to be accessible, confidential, respectful and non-judgmental.

He said the campaign would take services closer to communities through a combination of community outreach, HIV and STI testing, counselling, condom distribution, demand creation and linkage to care and treatment.

The campaign is targeting at least 1,500 people for syphilis and other STI testing and 2,500 people for HIV testing.

AHF also plans to distribute more than 100,000 condoms and reach over 20,000 people with accurate information on prevention and treatment.

Dr Chewe said the organisation would not measure the campaign's success simply by the number of people tested or treated.

“For us as AHF, the most important number is not just how many people we have tested or treated. It is how many people who test positive have received appropriate treatment and care,” he said.

He said the campaign should not end when the one-week activities and publicity came to an end.

Dr Chewe said services must continue to be available after the campaign, including access to condoms, testing and free treatment for people diagnosed with syphilis.

He said pregnant women should continue to be screened and treated, while partners of people diagnosed with syphilis should also be encouraged to test and receive appropriate care.

He said AHF would begin a roadshow in Lusaka tomorrow to take the campaign directly into communities.

Dr Chewe called for stronger integration of HIV, STI, reproductive health and community services instead of treating them as separate areas.

“When somebody comes for HIV testing, we should think about STIs. When someone presents with an STI, we should think about HIV,” he said.

He said pregnant women coming into contact with the health system presented an important opportunity for syphilis screening and timely treatment.

Dr Chewe also called for partner notification and testing when an individual was diagnosed, saying the response should focus on breaking chains of transmission rather than treating one person in isolation.

He said the fight against syphilis could not be left to AHF Zambia alone.

“AHF alone cannot do this. Government alone cannot do this. Our partners cannot do this. We all need to put our respective resources, systems, communities and expertise together,” Dr Chewe said.

He urged members of the public to protect themselves by using condoms consistently, testing regularly, seeking care early when diagnosed and completing treatment.

He also encouraged people to ensure that their sexual partners were tested and received appropriate care.

Dr Chewe cautioned that HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protects against HIV but does not protect against syphilis or other STIs.

He said condom use therefore remained important even for people taking PrEP.

The AHF Zambia Director General thanked the Government through the Ministry of Health for its continued partnership with the organisation and acknowledged the presence of provincial health leadership, implementing and cooperating partners, medical superintendents, healthcare workers and AHF staff at the campaign launch.

Speaking at the launch, National HIV/AIDS, STI and TB Council representative Katongo Silwizya said the campaign was important in renewing attention on STIs at a time when many infections could be prevented, treated and cured.

Ms Silwizya said the initiative, being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and AHF, would help strengthen efforts to prevent HIV and STIs while ensuring communities have access to accurate health information and essential services.

She said the National HIV/AIDS, STI and TB Council remained committed to working with the Ministry of Health, AHF and other stakeholders to improve HIV and STI prevention.

“The National HIV/AIDS, STI and TB Council remains committed to working with the Ministry of Health, AHF and all other stakeholders to strengthen HIV and STI prevention and to ensure that communities have access to information and services that they need,” she said.

Ms Silwizya said the campaign should help renew the country's focus on sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis, which remains an important public health concern.

She commended the Ministry of Health and AHF for coming together to launch the initiative, saying coordinated efforts were needed to improve the health and wellbeing of Zambians.

She also called for continued collaboration among Government, health organisations, cooperating partners, the media and communities in strengthening public awareness and access to STI prevention and treatment services.

Ms Silwizya said the Council looked forward to seeing the Stop Syphilis Campaign contribute to efforts aimed at reducing STIs and ultimately putting a stop to syphilis.

The launch was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, AHF, cooperating partners and the media, among others.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Africa Bureau has launched an intensified campaign against syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), targeting communities with testing, prevention information and treatment referrals.

AHF Africa Bureau representative Martin Matibishi said the organisation would work closely with the Ministry of Health and other partners to expand access to STI services, particularly among young people and communities facing barriers to accurate information, testing and treatment.

Matibishi said AHF Zambia would, through the campaign, test 1,500 people for syphilis and other STIs, offer HIV testing to 2,500 people, distribute up to 100,000 condoms and reach 20,000 people with accurate prevention and treatment information.

He said the campaign was being implemented in the spirit of the organisation's partnership with the Ministry of Health and would extend beyond Lusaka to the Copperbelt and other areas.

“Testing must become normal, accessible and free from judgement. Stigma must never be allowed to stand between a person and healthcare,” Matibishi said.

He said syphilis remained a serious but preventable public health concern across Africa, with young people and other communities at increased risk continuing to face barriers to prevention commodities, testing and timely treatment.

Matibishi said Zambia was no exception, adding that Lusaka and the Copperbelt were among the provinces facing a significant burden of STIs.

“These are not simply statistics. They represent people whose health, relationships and future may be affected by an infection that can be prevented, diagnosed and treated,” he said.

Matibishi said syphilis was curable but could cause serious complications when left undetected and untreated, including infertility and harm to pregnant women and newborns.

He also said untreated syphilis could increase vulnerability to HIV, making integrated HIV and STI services critical in reducing the burden of both infections.

AHF, he said, was strengthening integrated screening, community education, condom programming, HIV testing and referrals to treatment across the countries where it operates.

“AHF was born from advocacy. We believe healthcare is a right and that prevention, commodities, diagnostics and treatment must reach the people who need them, regardless of their ability to pay or their social circumstances,” Matibishi said.

He said AHF Africa currently supported programmes in 15 countries, serving more than 1.3 million clients, while the organisation globally provided care and treatment services to more than three million people in 50 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Matibishi said AHF had been steadily increasing the proportion of newly enrolled HIV clients who were also tested for syphilis as part of efforts to make STI screening a routine component of HIV services.

He said the organisation's Africa programme had grown significantly since it began in 2002, expanding from a small number of clients in South Africa and Uganda to a 15-country network.

Matibishi said AHF was also engaging the governments of Namibia and Botswana on possible expansion of its country programmes, building on its experience working with governments across the continent.

He said the organisation's response to STIs went beyond medical services to include community mobilisation, public education, condom distribution, STI screening, HIV testing and advocacy for equitable access to healthcare.

Matibishi further said AHF was planning a broader continental campaign, culminating in a major concert in Uganda during World AIDS Day, aimed at sustaining public awareness and the fight against HIV and STIs.

He said AHF Zambia would take the campaign to the streets of Lusaka before extending activities to the Copperbelt.

“Tomorrow we take this battle to the streets of Lusaka. Beyond Lusaka, we are relentless. We are taking this battle to the Copperbelt,” Matibishi said.

He said the planned Copperbelt campaign was a commitment being made at global level and demonstrated AHF's determination to take STI prevention and testing services closer to communities.

The event brought together Ministry of Health officials, provincial health directors from Lusaka and the Copperbelt, representatives of government ministries, cooperating and implementing partners, civil society organisations and members of the media.

AHF Country Programme Manager Dr Webster Shama Balachiwe, together with provincial health officials including Dr Winona and Dr Chonga, attended the launch.

Matibishi said AHF Africa remained committed to working with governments and communities to expand access to sexual and reproductive health services and ensure that people living with HIV and those at risk of STIs were not left behind.

He said the organisation would continue combining community mobilisation, prevention, testing and treatment in its efforts to strengthen health outcomes across Africa.