Maldives, 14 October (H.S.): The World Health Organization has validated the Maldives as the world’s first country to achieve triple elimination of mother‑to‑child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, marking a landmark public‑health milestone. WHO credited sustained political will, universal health coverage, and high‑quality maternal and child health services for the achievement.

“This historic milestone provides hope and inspiration for countries everywhere,” WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that the Maldives has shown elimination is possible with strong investment in maternal and newborn care.

WHO’s South‑East Asia office called the feat a testament to equitable service delivery across dispersed islands, including for migrants.The validation follows years of integrated programming: over 95% antenatal care coverage with near‑universal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B; more than 95% timely birth‑dose vaccination for hepatitis B; and consistently high infant immunization.

No babies were born with HIV or syphilis in 2022 and 2023, and a 2023 national survey found zero hepatitis B among first‑grade children—performance that surpasses elimination targets.

WHO noted the wider regional burden that triple elimination seeks to prevent: tens of thousands of pregnant women with syphilis annually, thousands of infants with congenital syphilis, significant numbers of HIV‑positive pregnancies requiring treatment, and more than 40 million people living with hepatitis B in the South‑East Asia Region.

Underscoring policy underpinnings, the Maldives guarantees free antenatal care, diagnostics, and vaccines under universal health coverage, supported by robust policies and health spending exceeding 10% of GDP.

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim hailed the validation as a national commitment to resilient, equitable services that “leave no one behind.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar