Health vulnerabilities for vertical transmission of syphilis: programmatic situation of primary care services in a health region in Brazil

Authors

  • Tainá de Jesus Alves Portela Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UEVA), Sobral, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: tainadejesusalves@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1422-3240
  • Maria Adelane Monteiro da Silva Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UEVA), Sobral, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: adelane_monteiro@uvanet.br. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7579-2645
  • David Gomes Araújo Júnior Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UEVA), Sobral, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: david_junior23@hotmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0755-2118
  • Cibelly Aliny Siqueira Lima Freitas Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UEVA), Sobral, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: cibellyaliny@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0585-5345
  • Verônica de Azevedo Mazza Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. Email: mazzas@ufpr.br. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1264-7149
  • Raquel Sampaio Florêncio Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: raquelsampy@hotmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3119-7187
  • Antonia Ariane Braga Almeida Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú (UEVA), Sobral, Ceará, Brasil. E-mail: arianealmeidabraga2210@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2670-0390

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/ree.v27.77655

Keywords:

Health Vulnerability, Primary Health Care, Syphilis, Congenital, Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical, Health Management

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the programmatic situations present in Primary Health Care in a health region in Brazil that are considered vulnerabilities to congenital syphilis. Methods: a qualitative study was conducted between October 2019 and April 2020 through semi-structured interviews with 12 municipal coordinators of Primary Health Care in a Health Region in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The information was processed using Content Analysis and the webQDA® software, with the support of the Health Vulnerability Model. Results: programmatic situations related to the infrastructure of Primary Health Care services, the management, and the work process were revealed: a shortage of trained human resources, materials, and supplies for the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis in pregnant women; weaknesses in educational and disease prevention actions; inadequacies in case reporting and communication between services in the care network; and lack of adequate public policies and programs. Conclusion: programmatic situations in Primary Health Care services that favor the vertical transmission of syphilis include precarious infrastructure, weaknesses in work processes and management, as well as insufficient human and financial resources for the prevention and control of gestational syphilis.

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2025-05-09 — Updated on 2025-08-15

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