By John Musenze, Kampala
African countries through their health leaders have committed to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B by the year 2030.
The pledge was made at the just concluded high-level ministerial conference on triple elimination, held from 21st to 23rd July 2025 in Uganda, the first of its kind on the African continent.
The conference, hosted by Uganda’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with Africa CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, brought together ministers of health, technical experts, and development partners from across the continent to find a path towards ending the vertical transmission of these life-threatening infections.
“This call-to-action spells out unifying actions, transforming futures, and achieving triple elimination in Africa by 2030,” declared Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, during her closing remarks. ” We cannot afford to lose time. We must integrate elimination strategies into maternal and child health platforms to protect mothers and give every child a healthy start to life.”
According to Dr Aceng, the burden of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in Africa remains alarmingly high according to recent reports from UNAIDS and the World Hepatitis Alliance,
According to the 2025 report, Africa accounted for approximately 26.3 million people living with HIV—representing a staggering 65% of the global total. Eastern and Southern Africa alone reported 490,000 new infections, while Western and Central Africa recorded 120,000 AIDS-related deaths.
Uganda’s health minister also highlighted that syphilis, once considered a disease of the past, has made a troubling global resurgence, and Africa now bears the highest increase in cases worldwide.
Globally, over eight million adults are infected according to WHO with 700,000 congenital syphilis cases recorded and approximately 230,000 related deaths.
While countries like Botswana and Namibia have made commendable progress towards eliminating vertical transmission, many other African countries are still grappling with systemic gaps in surveillance, testing, and treatment coverage.
Hepatitis B and C further compound the continent’s health burden. More than 91 million Africans live with Hepatitis B or C and is responsible for 63% of the world’s new infections. These viral infections, often asymptomatic until advanced stages, silently erode health systems and lead to severe liver complications, including cirrhosis and cancer.
Dr Aceng highlighted Uganda’s progress through service integration: syphilis testing during antenatal visits rose from 50% to 94%, while treatment coverage reached 83%.
She noted that maternal Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) coverage for HIV has remained above 95%, and early infant diagnosis of HIV-exposed babies has improved to 85% due to innovations like point-of-care testing.
“We have the tools. There are effective and cost-efficient interventions,” she noted. “But we need high-level political leadership, domestic financing, and uninterrupted supply chains for diagnostics and medication.”
She called on the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, and partners to support nations in strengthening surveillance, building workforce capacity, and engaging communities to drive demand for services.
“Let us work together – governments, civil society, and communities – to keep our mothers alive and free our children from these infections.”
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) virtually reminded African leaders that triple elimination is not just a slogan but it is our moral responsibility.
He urged African governments to integrate HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis services within every antenatal and postnatal care visit echoing a call for harmonised policies, stronger data systems, and person-centred care.
Dr Kaseya cited successful models in Botswana and Namibia, Kaseya encouraged countries to adopt similar integrated approaches and champion local manufacturing of essential health commodities.
“Africa must move from being a consumer of global solutions to a producer of its own health security. Elimination is possible when Africa leads and when Africa integrates.” he stressed.
Hon. Sarah Cleto Rial, Minister of Health for South Sudan, reaffirmed her country’s dedication to the 2030 goal.
“Our HIV and reproductive health department has developed integrated national guidelines to ensure coordinated service delivery,” she said.
She acknowledged that the three diseases pose a major threat to the ambition of building a healthy nation and emphasised the importance of regional collaboration to meet the elimination targets.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, speaking virtually, applauded the progress made but warned of backsliding due to global funding cuts.
“The gains remain fragile. Budget reductions are already impacting testing, lab services, and health worker availability,” she said.
Russell reminded delegates that without treatment, half of children born with HIV will die by age two, and 80% will not live to see their fifth birthday.
She urged all countries to adopt WHO and UNICEF’s new guidance on integrated triple elimination.
“The best way to protect children and families is by integrating prevention, testing, and treatment into routine antenatal care and vaccination services,” she noted. “I urge every ministry represented here to move forward with ambition, urgency, and resolve.”
Dr. Kaseya reminded the conference delegates that elimination of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis in Africa is possible through leadership, integration, and immediate action.
