A free, publicly available testing programme for syphilis needs to be made available in South Auckland to help tackle the epidemic, an expert says. Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says she's aware frontline specialists are struggling to react to South Auckland's syphilis epidemic. Photo: LAWRENCE SMITH / STUFF / LDR Dr Massimo Giola is a member of the New Zealand Sexual Health Society's executive and a practising physician, and said many people were still being charged a consultation fee when tested for the disease by their GP. "Particularly in areas like South Auckland, why don't we look at some form of subsidy?" he said. "We should be making the services as accessible as possible like we did with testing for Covid-19.