Islamabad: Denmark has become the first country in the European Union to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis, a milestone certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday that highlights how strong maternal health systems, universal prenatal testing and early treatment can prevent newborn infections.
But in Pakistan the situation remains far more challenging due to gaps in routine HIV screening during pregnancy, limited awareness and incomplete coverage of prevention services, officials say, warning that a growing share of infections is now occurring among women of reproductive age, raising concerns about transmission to newborns.
The WHO formally validated Denmark’s achievement after the country met all global elimination targets between 2021 and 2024, including maintaining extremely low transmission rates and ensuring that the vast majority of pregnant women are screened and treated for HIV and syphilis during pregnancy.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the development as a major public health achievement and said it demonstrated that strong political commitment and sustained investment in primary care and maternal and child health services could ensure that every child is born free of these infections.
Health experts say the elimination of mother to child transmission means that at least 95 percent of pregnant women are tested and treated where needed, while the number of new infant infections remains below 50 per 100,000 live births for several consecutive years.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said Denmark’s success reflected decades of investment in antenatal care, laboratory capacity and reliable health data systems. He noted that Denmark had consistently ensured universal prenatal screening and treatment while maintaining strong protection of women’s rights and access to care.
Denmark’s Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde said the validation was the result of decades of work by healthcare professionals, midwives and public health teams who ensured that pregnant women across the country received timely testing and treatment.
She said Denmark’s universal health system, based on equal access to care for all residents, had played a key role in preventing transmission of infections from mothers to newborns and added that the country was now working toward eliminating mother to child transmission of hepatitis B as well to achieve what health authorities call “triple elimination”.
According to WHO data, Denmark joins more than twenty countries and territories that have already been validated for eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B virus, or are certified to be on the path toward elimination. These include Cuba, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Belarus, Armenia, Brazil, Botswana, Oman, Namibia and several Caribbean territories.
Public health experts say Denmark’s achievement demonstrates that prevention of vertical transmission of infections is possible when maternal screening, treatment and follow up services are integrated within routine antenatal care.
In Pakistan, however, the situation remains far more challenging due to gaps in routine screening during pregnancy, limited awareness and incomplete coverage of prevention services.
Pakistan is estimated to have around 300,000 to 350,000 people living with HIV, according to national HIV programme data and international estimates. Health officials say a growing proportion of infections is now occurring among women of reproductive age, raising concerns about the risk of transmission to newborns.
Although Pakistan does not routinely publish national figures for mother to child HIV transmission, experts say the risk remains significant because most pregnant women are not routinely screened for HIV during antenatal visits, particularly in rural areas and private clinics.
Officials in the Ministry of National Health Services say Pakistan has introduced prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services in selected public sector hospitals and HIV treatment centres, where pregnant women diagnosed with HIV are offered antiretroviral therapy to prevent infection in newborns.
Under these programmes, HIV positive pregnant women are provided lifelong antiretroviral treatment, safe delivery services and counselling on infant feeding practices to reduce the risk of transmission.
Health authorities say these interventions can reduce the risk of transmission from mother to child to less than two percent when implemented effectively.
However, specialists warn that Pakistan still lacks a nationwide integrated screening programme for HIV and syphilis during pregnancy, which remains a key requirement for eliminating vertical transmission.
Public health experts say expanding routine antenatal testing, strengthening surveillance systems and integrating HIV, syphilis and hepatitis screening within maternal health services will be essential if Pakistan hopes to move toward elimination targets similar to those achieved by Denmark and other countries.
WHO officials say Denmark’s experience provides a model for countries seeking to protect mothers and newborns from preventable infections and demonstrates that sustained political commitment, universal healthcare access and strong data systems can make the elimination of mother to child transmission a realistic public health goal.
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