Syphilis Elimination Effort Consultation Meeting – August 1-2, 2005 Atlanta, GA

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Report of the Syphilis Elimination Effort Consultation  (November 2005)

The Syphilis Elimination Effort (SEE), launched in October 1999, aims to reduce the incidence and transmission of infectious syphilis in the United States with consequent benefits to child health, reducing racial disparities, and improving public health infrastructure for STD control. At its inception, the effort was largely oriented towards tackling the challenges of endemic syphilis affecting underserved minority populations in the southeastern United States. Recent changes in disease epidemiology, characterized by the re-emergence of syphilis among men who have sex with men, require a reframing of the purpose and recommended strategies of the SEE.

In reframing the future direction for the Syphilis Elimination Effort (SEE), it is important that early and meaningful consultation with stakeholders takes place. The Division of STD Prevention therefore organized a consultation meeting in Atlanta Georgia to provide key stakeholders with an update on completed SEE activities and achievements, and to solicit their input in re-framing future syphilis elimination strategies. Key objectives of the meeting were to:

  1. To provide stakeholders with an update on the current status of the SEE and achievements to date;
  2. To explore the nature of elimination as it applies to syphilis, including new challenges facing the SEE in the 21st Century;
  3. To identify best, promising and innovative practices which might be relevant to future SEE; and
  4. To identify new ways of framing the SEE, based on a new understanding of disease epidemiology

More than 90 persons attended the consultation meeting. They represented diverse constituencies including federal, community, state, local, private sector with broad geographic, risk group, gender and ethnic representation. The meeting covered an introduction to, and update on, the Syphilis Elimination Effort combined with interactive discussion sessions on strategies to improve the health service response; create effective partnerships; and enhance implementation of the SEE. A meeting report will be distributed.