National Syphilis Response Plan

National Syphilis CDINS Declaration – Key Information and Resources

On 7 August 2025, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd AO, declared syphilis a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS). This escalation reflects a sustained increase in infectious syphilis cases across the country over the past decade, now affecting communities in nearly all regions of Australia.

Of significant concern are preventable cases of congenital syphilis and associated infant deaths. Syphilis remains a disease that is both preventable and treatable, and the current national situation underscores the urgency for heightened vigilance and coordinated action across our health systems.

The Australian Government, in partnership with states, territories, and key health stakeholders, is leading the national response and continuing implementation of the National Syphilis Response Plan. Strengthening testing, early diagnosis, treatment, and contact tracing remains central to reducing transmission and protecting vulnerable populations.

To support your role in this response, ACIPC has compiled key resources to assist with clinical awareness, risk assessment, and evidence-based management of syphilis.

• National Syphilis Response Plan 2023-2030: https://www.cdc.gov.au/resources/publications/national-syphilis-response-plan-2023-2030

• Recently updated advice in chapter 8.5 on syphilis of the Australian Pregnancy Guidelines: https://app.magicapp.org/?language=en#/guideline/jm83RE

• Syphilis Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) National Guidelines for Public Health Units, (updated in November 2024): https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/syphilis-cdna-national-guidelines-for-public-health-units.pdf

• The Australian Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) Management Guidelines for Use in Primary Care, including specific guidance on syphilis: https://sti.guidelines.org.au/sexually-transmissible-infections/syphilis/

Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control disease directory:

• Syphilis for health professionals – https://www.cdc.gov.au/topics/syphilis-health-professionals
• Syphilis for everyone – https://www.cdc.gov.au/topics/syphilis

ASHM resources:

• Syphilises clinical indicator tool – https://ashm.org.au/resources/could-it-be-syphilis-clinical-indicator-tool/
• Decision making in syphilises resource – https://ashm.org.au/resources/syphilis-decision-making-tool/
• Sexual history taking – https://sexualhistorytaking.com.au/
• Australasian contact tracing guidelines- https://contacttracing.ashm.org.au/
• Sexual Health Fundamentals eLearning Course – https://ashm.org.au/education/sexual-health-fundamentals/
• Decision Making in Doxy-PEP – https://ashm.org.au/resources/doxy-pep-decision-making-tool/
• Doxy-PEP: Everything you need to know! Information Sheet – https://ashm.org.au/resources/doxy-pep-everything-you-need-to-know-information-sheet/

To read the Chief Medical Officer’s statement declaring syphilis a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance, please click the link below:

https://www.health.gov.au/news/cmo-statement-syphilis-cdins