'Horrifying' rise in Alberta syphilis rates draws calls for renewed public health efforts

  • 📰 TheTorontoSun
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 47 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 68%

Health Health Headlines News

Health Health Latest News,Health Health Headlines

STI rates on the rise in Alberta, drawing calls for an expanded public health response

“I think that is a public health emergency, it needs to be acknowledged as such, and resources need to be put into responding to it,” said Singh, noting that would include the province putting more money into outreach, expanded access to services, and scaling up the availability of rapid testing.

In 2022, all AHS Zones reported an increase in infectious syphilis rates, but the hardest hit areas were the North Zone, with 144.1 cases per 100,000 population, and the Edmonton Zone, with 86.4 cases per 100,000 population. “Those numbers are deeply concerning and it’s quite clear we need to take some quick, swift action to address this,” said Shepherd, pointing to the importance of culturally competent outreach and access to primary care.

In a statement to Postmedia Thursday, spokesman Chris Bourdeau said Alberta Health is monitoring the rise in STIs, including syphilis, which isHe said the reasons behind the rise aren’t fully known, but there are some contributing factors, including “a decrease in public perception of risk, individuals not being diagnosed in a timely manner, dating apps becoming more popular, and individuals feeling less comfortable accessing health services during the pandemic.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 23. in HEALTH

Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Horrifying' rise in Alberta syphilis rates draws calls for renewed public health effortsSTI rates on the rise in Alberta, drawing calls for an expanded public health response
Source: calgarysun - 🏆 63. / 52 Read more »

'Horrifying' rise in Alberta syphilis rates draws calls for renewed public health effortsSTI rates on the rise in Alberta, drawing calls for an expanded public health response
Source: calgaryherald - 🏆 64. / 52 Read more »