Prevention of congenital syphilis in Fortaleza, Ceará: an evaluation of the structure and process

Objective: To evaluate the work structure and process of healthcare professionals in order to develop actions for the prevention and control of congenital syphilis in Fortaleza, Ceará. Methods: This is an evaluation research conducted in 89 primary healthcare units between July and October, 2011. The components of physical structure, materials and inputs, human resources, and organizational structure were evaluated; then, the units were classified as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Results: The general classification showed that only 47.2% of the units were found to be unsatisfactory. In all, 68.5% of the units had a blood-sampling room, 21.3% had professionals qualified to attend syphilis cases, and only 16.9% of the units administered benza-thine penicillin to pregnant women. Conclusion: In general, primary healthcare units did not present structural and procedural conditions to help control congenital syphilis.