APA-Lilongwe (Malawi) Malawi Health Minister Khumbo Kachali on Wednesday appealed to governments in eastern and southern Africa to urgently put in place strategies that would reduce sexually transmitted infections (STI\’s) in the sub-region.
Speaking during the official opening of a three-day conference on the rapid testing of syphilis, he said failure to diagnose and treat STI\’s at an early stage might result in serious complications and life threatening conditions such as infertility, fetal wastage, ectopic pregnancies and low birth weight, among others.
\"The need to control STI\’s has now become urgent since the infections are recognised as independent risk factors for HIV transmission,\" he said.
Kachali said it was important for governments to be mindful of the asymptomatic nature of some STI\’s and their implications.
He added that the need to increase syphilis case identification and treatment in the general population was vital towards the elimination of congenital syphilis.
The conference, which ends Friday, will discuss available tools and diagnostic technologies that can be incorporated into national strategic plans for the control of bacterial genital ulcerative diseases.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
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