Gold, Copper—and Syphilis

What began as a quest for prosperity has instead created fertile ground for disease, inequality, and silent suffering.

By Linda Soko Tembo, Terence Katiki, and Stanley Fwataki

By day, Solwezi in northwestern Zambia glitters with the promise of gold and copper. But when night falls, the glow fades into shadows of back rooms and crowded guesthouses — places where untreated infections, unspoken pain and desperate bargains between hunger and survival quietly unfold.

Amid this rush for wealth, a silent epidemic is taking hold. Syphilis is tightening its grip on Solwezi, with health officials warning of a sharp rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at a time when Zambia is facing US$380 million in cuts to HIV/AIDS funding.

Between January and June this year alone, more than 1,390 STI cases were recorded in the district — including 422 pregnant women and 30 babies born with congenital syphilis, a preventable disease passed from mother to child.

This health crisis is unfolding amid rapid migration and a relentless search for economic opportunity. As thousands flock to Solwezi in pursuit of gold, copper, and quick money, poverty, transactional sex, and unsafe relationships have taken root. Young women are turning to sex work to survive, miners and traders move in and out of the town, and many residents are not accessing available preventive health services.

A growing public health challenge

The surge in infections has prompted calls for stronger community sensitisation, increased male involvement in antenatal care, and early testing.

Clinical Officer General (COG) Innocent Musonda from the HIV and Tuberculosis department at the Solwezi provincial health office said health workers continue to emphasise the importance of community participation to ensure people are informed.

“If proper intervention or treatment is not given to pregnant mothers, syphilis can easily be transferred to the unborn child. Male involvement is also key in supporting women to seek care early.”

Musonda added that syphilis can cause miscarriages and stressed that the infection is dangerous if left untreated. Without early detection and treatment, he warned, congenital syphilis can lead to stillbirth, neonatal death, or long-term developmental disabilities in children.

The broader national context

The surge in syphilis cases in Solwezi reflects a wider national health crisis.

According to UN Zambia, about 30,000 new HIV infections were recorded nationwide in 2025, with 38% occurring among young people aged between 15 and 24. Adolescent girls and young women were three times more likely to contract HIV than their male counterparts.

Although Zambia has increased its domestic funding for the HIV response from 7% in 2022 to 10% in 2024, progress remains at risk. The country is facing a US$367 million reduction in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. government initiative launched in 2003 to fight HIV/AIDS globally, along with a further US$21 million cut from the Global Fund. These funding losses threaten to weaken gains made in STI and HIV prevention.

The UN report further notes that Zambia needs an estimated US$500 million annually to sustain its HIV and STI programmes. With external funding shrinking, community sensitisation, youth-focused interventions, and local solutions have become more critical than ever.

Science behind syphilis

Syphilis is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Treponema pallidum, which is mainly transmitted through unprotected sex. Health experts say the disease develops in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary, and can remain hidden in the body for years if left untreated.

In the primary stage, a painless sore known as a chancre appears at the site of infection. Though often unnoticed, it is highly infectious. Weeks later, if untreated, the disease progresses to the secondary stage, spreading through the bloodstream and causing symptoms such as skin rashes, fever and swollen glands.

This is followed by the latent stage, when symptoms disappear but the bacteria remain in the body. Without treatment, syphilis can advance to the tertiary stage, which may result in blindness, paralysis, infertility, organ failure, mental illness — and even death.

Musonda warned that the infection is not only transmitted through vaginal sex.

^{“Some people assume a mouth sore is harmless,” he said, “but oral syphilis is a real risk.”}

He added that treating one partner is not enough, as reinfection can occur if both partners are not treated at the same time. Unprotected oral and anal sex, as well as sharing sex toys, increases the risk of infection.

Urbanisation, mining, and risky behaviour

Solwezi’s booming mining industry has triggered a wave of migration, drawing in job seekers, traders, and long-distance truck drivers. But the town’s rapid growth has also fuelled a sprawling informal economy, from nightclubs and bars to commercial sex work, creating conditions that drive the spread of STIs.

“Even though services are available, many people are not making use of them,” said Musonda, referring to condoms and prevention options. “If condom use and uptake of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) improved, we could drastically cut these numbers.”

The human story behind the statistics

Behind the statistics are real lives shaped by poverty, migration, and survival. A brief survey by the reporting team shows that commercial sex work is thriving in Solwezi and nearby townships. Many sex workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, say the booming mining economy and constant flow of new people make the trade profitable, despite its dangers.

A 20-year-old sex worker, who asked not to be named, said she travels between mining towns to earn a living.

Another young woman, aged 23, said she turned to sex work to support her two children.

“Most clients prefer unprotected sex, and some pay more for oral or anal sex,” she said. “I try to use condoms, but sometimes I don’t.”

Some sex workers also spoke of using traditional practices they believe offer protection. But health experts warn that these practices offer no medical protection and may create a dangerous false sense of security, discouraging proper prevention.

One sex worker explained that financial pressure often overrides safety.

“Some clients refuse to use condoms and offer more money for unprotected sex,” she said. “Sometimes you accept because you need the money. Poverty and lack of jobs push many women into these risky situations.”

A call for collective action

Health officials in Solwezi are urging a coordinated response to the growing STI crisis, one that combines health education, community outreach, and economic support, particularly for young women.

Musonda said that all health centres in the district provide free STI testing and treatment, many operating 24 hours and offering youth-friendly services. He stressed that prevention, early diagnosis and treating both partners are key to stopping the spread of syphilis and other infections.

He called for collaboration between health authorities, traditional leaders, civil society and mining companies to invest in community education and dialogue.

Musonda also dispelled common myths, warning that circumcision does not prevent STIs.

“Being circumcised reduces the chances of contracting HIV, but it does not stop someone from getting other STIs. We must get rid of that myth,” he said.

This report is a joint production by Radio Kabangabanga and MakanDay, published as part of an investigative journalism training programme.