{"id":7348,"date":"2025-10-24T10:03:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348"},"modified":"2025-10-24T10:03:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:03:12","slug":"maldives-becomes-first-country-in-the-world-to-achieve-triple-elimination-of-mother-to-child-transmission-of-hiv-syphilis-and-hepatitis-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348","title":{"rendered":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><h1><strong>Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Mal\u00e9, Maldives:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a historic global health milestone, the <strong>World Health Organization (WHO)<\/strong> has officially validated the <strong>Maldives<\/strong> as the first country in the world to achieve <strong>\u2018triple elimination\u2019<\/strong> of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of <strong>HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The achievement marks a significant public health victory for the island nation, which had previously been validated in <strong>2019<\/strong> for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. The latest validation confirms the country\u2019s success in also eliminating hepatitis B transmission from mothers to their babies.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMaldives 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\u2014and the suffering they bring\u2014is possible,\u201d said <strong>Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus<\/strong>, WHO Director-General. \u201cThis historic milestone provides hope and inspiration for countries everywhere working towards the same goal.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>A Global Health Milestone<\/h3>\n<p>Mother-to-child transmission remains a major global health challenge. Across the <strong>WHO South-East Asia Region<\/strong>, provisional 2024 estimates suggest that more than <strong>23,000 pregnant women<\/strong> had syphilis, resulting in over <strong>8,000 infants<\/strong> born with congenital syphilis. Meanwhile, around <strong>25,000 HIV-positive pregnant women<\/strong> required treatment to prevent transmitting the virus to their babies, and <strong>hepatitis B<\/strong> continues to affect over <strong>42 million people<\/strong> in the region.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7236\" src=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-634x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"634\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-634x1024.jpg 634w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-768x1240.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-952x1536.jpg 952w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-1269x2048.jpg 1269w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251019_113845-scaled.jpg 1586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Against this backdrop, Maldives\u2019 accomplishment stands out as a model for the world.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMaldives\u2019 achievement is a testament to its unwavering commitment towards universal health coverage and equitable care across its dispersed islands,\u201d said <strong>Dr Catharina Boehme<\/strong>, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office. \u201cThis landmark feat is an important step towards \u2018Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,\u2019 ensuring that every mother and child has access to quality health services.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Integrated Care and Universal Health Coverage Drive Success<\/h3>\n<p>The Maldives\u2019 success story is rooted in its <strong>integrated and comprehensive maternal and child health system<\/strong>. Over <strong>95% of pregnant women<\/strong> in the country receive antenatal care, with <strong>near-universal testing<\/strong> for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.<\/p>\n<p>The nation also boasts a <strong>strong immunization program<\/strong>, ensuring that over <strong>95% of newborns<\/strong> receive a timely hepatitis B birth dose and full vaccination coverage. These efforts have led to <strong>zero babies born with HIV or syphilis in 2022 and 2023<\/strong>, and a <strong>2023 national survey confirmed zero hepatitis B<\/strong> among first-grade schoolchildren\u2014surpassing global elimination targets.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, these achievements are supported by <strong>universal health coverage (UHC)<\/strong>, guaranteeing <strong>free antenatal care, vaccines, and diagnostic services<\/strong> for all residents, including migrants. The Maldives government invests over <strong>10% of its GDP<\/strong> in health, reflecting a deep commitment to public well-being.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis historic validation is a moment of immense pride for the Maldives and a reflection of our nation\u2019s steadfast commitment to protecting mothers, children, and future generations,\u201d said <strong>H.E. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim<\/strong>, Minister of Health, Maldives. \u201cAchieving triple elimination is not only a milestone for our health sector but a pledge to continue investing in equitable, high-quality health services that leave no one behind.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Partnerships and Continued Commitment<\/h3>\n<p>The triple elimination milestone was made possible through <strong>strong partnerships<\/strong> among government agencies, private healthcare providers, civil society organizations, and international partners. These collaborations strengthened screening, community outreach, and technical capacity nationwide.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7224\" src=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-630x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-630x1024.jpg 630w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-185x300.jpg 185w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-768x1248.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-945x1536.jpg 945w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-1260x2048.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SAVE_20251018_202731-scaled.jpg 1576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe Maldives\u2019 triple elimination stands as a powerful example of how sustained investment in health systems, innovation, and community-based care can change the trajectory of public health,\u201d said <strong>Ms Payden<\/strong>, WHO Representative to Maldives. \u201cWHO is proud to have partnered with the Government of Maldives and will continue to support efforts to sustain this achievement.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Looking Ahead: Sustaining Progress<\/h3>\n<p>Building on this success, Maldives plans to further strengthen its health system through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Digital health information integration<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Targeted interventions<\/strong> for key populations and migrants<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced private sector engagement and reporting<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Improved laboratory quality management<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>WHO will continue to work with the Maldives to sustain its elimination status and advance broader goals for <strong>maternal, child, and adolescent health<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The Maldives\u2019 landmark achievement underscores the transformative power of <strong>universal health coverage, political will, and collaboration<\/strong>, setting a global benchmark for eliminating preventable diseases and ensuring <strong>healthy beginnings for future generations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B.\u00a0 &nbsp; Mal\u00e9, Maldives: &nbsp; In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" data-url=https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-world-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B.\u00a0 &nbsp; Mal\u00e9, Maldives: &nbsp; In [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Eagle News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot_2025-10-24-15-26-39-261_com.android.chrome-edit.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"897\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348\",\"name\":\"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/\",\"name\":\"The Eagle News\",\"description\":\"Eagle News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/theeaglenews.in\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News","og_description":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B.\u00a0 &nbsp; Mal\u00e9, Maldives: &nbsp; In [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348","og_site_name":"The Eagle News","article_published_time":"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":897,"url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot_2025-10-24-15-26-39-261_com.android.chrome-edit.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348","url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348","name":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B. - The Eagle News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-24T10:03:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=7348#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Maldives Becomes First Country in the World to Achieve \u2018Triple Elimination\u2019 of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/","name":"The Eagle News","description":"Eagle News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/836b23196d8cf2a3340a0b6adb2d2cf4","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3813785621535057fd2f3870ecafe9dc3e7307140c68da3e0427080f45c50e6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/theeaglenews.in"],"url":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7350,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7348\/revisions\/7350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}