WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a landmark public health achievement, the World Health Organization has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation in 2019 for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis. This makes the Maldives the first country in the world to achieve 'triple elimination'.
'Maldives has shown that with strong political will and sustained investment in maternal and child health, elimination of mother-to-child transmission of these deadly diseases, and the suffering they bring, is possible,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'This historic milestone provides hope and inspiration for countries everywhere working towards the same goal.'
Mother-to-child transmission leads to infections that affect millions worldwide. In the WHO South-East Asia Region alone, provisional estimates indicate that in 2024, more than 23,000 pregnant women had syphilis and over 8000 infants were born with congenital syphilis. About 25,000 HIV-positive pregnant women required treatment to prevent transmission to their babies, while hepatitis B continues to affect more than 42 million people in the Region.
Over years, Maldives has built an integrated and comprehensive approach to maternal and child health, WHO says. More than 95 percent of pregnant women receive antenatal care, with nearly universal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. The country also has a strong immunization system, with more than 95 percent of newborns consistently receiving a timely dose of hepatitis B birth dose and full vaccine coverage, protecting infants from lifelong infection. As a result, no babies were born with HIV or syphilis in 2022 and 2023, while a 2023 national survey confirmed zero hepatitis B among young children, surpassing elimination targets.
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