Summits - SBCC and C4D
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Summits - SBCC and C4D
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Published 13 years ago
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Maternal and congenital syphilis in Zambia

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Kamanga, J. (1995). "Maternal and congenital syphilis in Zambia." Africa health 18(1): 15-17.

Background: In Zambia during 1985-1987, 6 health centers in Lusaka took part in a syphilis intervention study where all pregnant women at the 3 study centers were screened for syphilis at least twice. Treatment reduced the prevalence of syphilis antibodies from 12.8% to 8%. Women continuously received clear messages encouraging them to go early to a clinic for prenatal care, resulting in an increase in attendance of women during the 1st trimester from 10% to 42.5%. Health education and routine syphilis screening prevented adverse pregnancy outcomes. The treatment of both women and their husbands was cost-effective. Many problems arose as a result of the loss of funding: sporadic shortages of screening reagent, absence of needles and syringes, lack of antibiotics, and serious shortage of trained laboratory staff. By 1993, the prevalence of syphilis antibodies in pregnant women in Lusaka clinics had climbed to 13%. In early 1995, only 2 of the 10 health centers with laboratories were screening more than 80% of pregnant women for syphilis. On the most part, they did not perform repeat tests to confirm syphilis in late pregnancy. In January 1994, UNICEF provided funds to the Zambian National AIDS/STD (sexually transmitted disease) Control Programme to strengthen syphilis control in pregnancy, initially focusing on health centers in Lusaka. Nurse-midwives perform the screening test on day of the prenatal visit while the pregnant woman awaits the results. They also conduct health education to encourage pregnant women to attend prenatal care early. They give positive mothers condoms for their partners to use until the men also receive treatment. Between January 1994-January 1995, screening of prenatal patients increased from 36% to 86% and 78% of positive women received treatment. Political commitment for syphilis intervention is needed to achieve program sustainability.