Abstract

The State Protection Program for Pregnant Women (PEPG) is an innovative prenatal screening program to detect diseases affecting pregnant women. It is a public health program aimed at offering quality health care services equally to all socioeconomic strata, regardless of the epidemiological and ethnic variances within and among states. The main difference of this program is the biological material analyzed for screening; dried blood spots collected on filter papers. Software collects epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data necessary to determine the regional infection rates in order to provide public health services in accordance with the screening coverage. In addition, the software systematizes data useful for the implementation of strategies for control and prevention of new infections. Since its initiation, the PEPG has taken crucial health care measures.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Abortions; Screening Dried blood spot test on filter paper; Syphilis; Morbidity and mortality; Brazil