In brief

Two thirds of syphilis cases in antenatal clinics are undetected: In 2008 1.4 million women around the world had syphilis, and 80% of them received antenatal care, a study published in PLOS Medicine has estimated.1 Of these women, 30% in Africa were tested for the infection, compared with 70% in Europe. Syphilis resulted in 215 000 stillbirths, 90 000 neonatal deaths, 65 000 preterm or low birthweight babies, and 150 000 babies with congenital infections. Around 66% of adverse outcomes occurred in women who attended antenatal clinics but who were not …