By Daniel Omwoyo
The Maldives has made history after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it had successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
The validation was made public, after WHO confirmed that the Maldives had achieved elimination of hepatitis B, adding to its earlier success in 2019 for HIV and syphilis.
According to the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Maldives triple elimination is a major global health milestone.
“This progress made the Maldives the first country in the world to achieve “triple elimination.”
He added, “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 is possible. This historic milestone provides hope and inspiration for countries everywhere working towards the same goal.”
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B affected millions of people worldwide in 2024, in the WHO South-East Asia Region alone, more than 23,000 pregnant women had syphilis, 25,000 pregnant women were HIV-positive, and over 42 million people were affected by hepatitis B, according to WHO estimates.
The WHO Officer-in-Charge for South-East Asia, Dr. Catharina Boehme, praised the Maldives for its strong commitment to public health.
She said, “Maldives’ achievement is a testament to its unwavering commitment towards universal health coverage and equitable care across its islands. This is an important step towards healthy beginnings and hopeful futures for mothers and children.”
Over the years, the Maldives built a strong health system focusing on maternal and child care more than 95 percent of pregnant women in the country received antenatal care, including testing for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
The country also ensured that over 95 percent of newborns received timely hepatitis B vaccines, preventing lifelong infections.
Because of these efforts, no babies were born with HIV or syphilis in 2022 and 2023, and a 2023 national survey found zero cases of hepatitis B among young children, proving the success of the elimination program.
The Maldives government achieved this through universal health coverage, which provides free antenatal care, vaccines, and diagnostic services to all residents, including migrants, the country also invested over 10 percent of its GDP in health services.
The Maldives Minister of Health, H.E. Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, celebrated the achievement, saying, “This historic validation is a moment of immense pride for our nation. Achieving triple elimination is a pledge by the Government to continue investing in resilient, equitable, and high-quality health services that leave no one behind.”
This milestone was made possible through strong partnerships between the government, private health providers, civil society, and international organizations like WHO, which worked together to provide testing, vaccination, and community outreach.
The WHO Representative to Maldives, Ms. Payden, also commended the country’s success. She said, “The Maldives’ triple elimination stands as a powerful example of how sustained investment in health systems, innovation, and community-based care can change the course of public health. WHO is proud to have partnered with the Government of Maldives and will continue to support its efforts.”
Looking ahead, the Maldives plans to strengthen its health system further by improving digital health information, expanding health services for vulnerable groups, and ensuring high-quality laboratory services.
WHO promised to continue supporting the country to sustain the elimination and improve maternal, child, and adolescent health across all islands.
This achievement by the Maldives marked a historic global health milestone, showing that with commitment, investment, and cooperation, ending mother-to-child transmission of deadly diseases is truly possible.
