New European standards call for free examinations for all pregnant women, re-examination where there is an increased risk and immediate care for mother and newborn.
An examination at the beginning of pregnancy can pave the way for treatment that will protect both mother and child, the ECDC points out in the report accompanying the recommendation, which was published today.
With this in mind, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control calls on countries to ensure early screening for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in every pregnancy.
According to the ECDC, testing for all three infections must be included in national protocols, provided free of charge to all pregnant women and carried out at least once in each pregnancy.
The examination is recommended as early as possible, preferably in the first trimester. The European goal is to test at least 95% of pregnant women for each of the three infections.
The ECDC provides for a second screening in the third trimester for women at increased or ongoing risk of exposure. Among the factors that need to be taken into account, he mentions, among other things, a partner with a known infection and a recent diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease. At the same time, it calls for care without stigmatization and with the protection of patient confidentiality.
Even during childbirth, the ability to control should not be lost. For women whose condition in terms of the three infections is unknown, the standards recommend rapid tests, with confirmation of any positive result according to national protocols.
Intervention after diagnosis is equally important. For a pregnant woman diagnosed with HIV, the ECDC recommends starting antiretroviral treatment immediately, ideally within seven days. For active syphilis, he asks for early antibiotic treatment, while for hepatitis B he provides specialized care and treatment where indicated. Newborns who have been exposed to any of the infections also need proper monitoring. Especially for infants of mothers with hepatitis B, the standards provide for a vaccine dose within the first 24 hours of birth.
Services and numbers in Cyprus
In Cyprus, services related to all three diseases are already operating. The Grigorios Clinic of OKYPY reports that it provides free, anonymous laboratory testing for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. It also has a specialized pregnancy monitoring clinic for women living with HIV.
For hepatitis B, vaccination is included in the National Vaccination Program. The Cypriot program specifically provides for the administration of a vaccine and immunoglobulin within 12 hours of birth for a newborn mother who is positive for hepatitis B.
The available figures give an overview of infections: the ECDC recorded 93 cases of syphilis in Cyprus in 2024, compared to 95 in 2023. For HIV, the Ministry of Health had announced 162 new diagnoses in 2023, compared to 218 in 2022. Finally, published data for 2024 place the coverage with the third dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at 94%.
At the moment, however, there are no published data for Cyprus regarding the picture in terms of prenatal screening.
