Syphilis continues to rise in Uruguay and the region.
According to data from the Epidemiological Bulletin corresponding to epidemiological week 23, in 2026 there were 3,669 notifications of syphilis, compared to 2,618 in the same period of 2025.
Syphilis is a preventable and treatable infection, but when it is not diagnosed and treated promptly it can cause serious complications, especially during pregnancy, due to the risk of transmission to the newborn.
The Ministry of Public Health points out that the increase in reported cases should be analyzed considering various factors. On the one hand, the disease shows a growing trend regionally. On the other hand, Uruguay has strengthened its capacity for detecting, monitoring, and registering cases in the last year, which allows for the identification of more infected individuals and an improved healthcare response.
Syphilis: A primer on ‘the Great Pox’
Within this framework, Ordinance No. 912/025 on Syphilis, Congenital Syphilis, and Prenatal Care came into effect in 2025, incorporating measures aimed at strengthening early diagnosis, access to treatment, and epidemiological surveillance. Among the actions implemented are expanding access to diagnostic tests, with an emphasis on the availability and use of rapid tests to avoid missed opportunities for diagnosis and immediate treatment, strengthening mandatory reporting, and designating institutional technical representatives within healthcare providers. More than 120 designated technical experts from both the public and private sectors form a national network with coordination between levels of care and with the Ministry of Public Health, ensuring the implementation of the actions contemplated in the ordinance: defining the critical path in the management of reactive results of syphilis tests ensuring continuity of care, guaranteeing the availability of rapid tests and penicillin at points of care, defining the procedures for the recruitment and treatment of sexual partners of people with syphilis with emphasis on pregnant women, monitoring and ensuring the epidemiological notification of cases.
Increased case detection presents an opportunity for early intervention, timely treatment, and the interruption of transmission chains, especially in vulnerable populations and during pregnancy.
We will continue to strengthen prevention efforts, early diagnosis, access to treatment and contact tracing, as well as epidemiological surveillance, with the aim of having increasingly accurate information to guide public policies and focus interventions where they are most needed.