Maldives Hepatitis: In a landmark public-health milestone, the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B while maintaining its earlier validation for HIV and syphilis, making it the first country globally to achieve “triple elimination.”
“The 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,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling the achievement a model for other nations.
Also Read | Bangladesh launches month-long typhoid vaccination drive for 50 million children
WHO noted that MTCT remains a major global challenge. In the South-East Asia Region alone (provisional 2024 estimates), >23,000 pregnant women had syphilis, >8,000 infants were born with congenital syphilis, and ~25,000 HIV-positive pregnant women required treatment to prevent transmission. Hepatitis B continues to affect over 42 million people in the region.
According to WHO, the Maldives’ success rests on an integrated maternal–child health programme: >95% antenatal care coverage with near-universal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B; a robust immunisation system with >95% timely hepatitis B birth-dose and full schedule coverage; and universal health coverage that guarantees free antenatal services, vaccines and diagnostics for all residents, including migrants. No babies were born with HIV or syphilis in 2022–2023, and a 2023 national survey found zero hepatitis B among first-grade children, exceeding elimination targets.
“This landmark feat is an important step towards ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, ” said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, praising the country’s commitment to equitable care across dispersed islands. Maldives Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim called the validation “a moment of immense pride,” pledging continued investment in resilient, high-quality services that “leave no one behind.”
