Expanding Syphilis Screening Among Pregnant Women in Indonesia Using Dual Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV/Syphilis Testing in Indonesia

Background: Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7 per 1000 pregnant women have maternal syphilis infection. This study aims to investigate the expansion of dual Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and syphilis screening among pregnant women in Indonesia, with a focus on East Java and Central Java. Methods: This study used a mixed method design. Primary data from questionnaire and interview guides. The study was conducted in two provinces and four districts, including Semarang City, Pekalongan District, Surabaya City, and Ponorogo District. The sample included 40 health facilities, of which 24 were public and 16 private. Univariate and bivariate analyses used IBM SPSS 25.0. All surveyed public health facilities (100%, 24/24) offered HIV testing services. Results: Among the surveyed private facilities, 18.8% (3/16) reported that they offered HIV testing, whereas 12.5% (2/16) reported that they offered syphilis (Treponema pallidum) testing. The availability of treatment services remains very limited. A large gap also exists between HIV and syphilis testing. Among pregnant women visiting the maternal and child health (MCH) services, 3.95% were tested for HIV but did not receive syphilis testing. Conclusions: Overall, Indonesia has made progress in closing the gap between HIV and syphilis testing through the introduction of dual testing. Data on the use of dual test are encouraging, with many health workers reporting that the test is easy to use and considering it as an effective approach to achieve the Triple Elimination goal by the WHO.