In 2020, a pregnant woman at an antenatal clinic in Liberia would likely be tested for HIV. She would probably not be tested for syphilis, an infection that can cause stillbirth, newborn death, and lifelong disability, but that one injection of penicillin can treat.
That gap has now largely closed. Since 2021, Evidence Action has supported Liberia’s Ministry of Health to integrate syphilis screening and treatment into existing government health systems.
On September 2, 2026, the Ministry of Health and its National AIDS and STI Control Program (NACP) held an event in Monrovia to celebrate those gains in partnership with Evidence Action.
The event also celebrated a graduation for our maternal and newborn health work in Liberia, through Syphilis-Free Start: all 15 counties have met the criteria to graduate from our intensive technical support. Across those counties, health workers at more than 560 facilities providing antenatal care now routinely screen pregnant women for syphilis and treat those who test positive. We will continue to provide light-touch support over the next year.
"This was a Liberian-owned story from day one," said Emilie Efronson, associate director for Syphilis-Free Start.
