Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B by 2026, Health Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said.
The country is implementing its Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission Plan (2023–2026), which aligns with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. WHO stresses the importance of vaccinating newborns within 24 hours of birth as a key measure to prevent infections.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Validation Committee (NVC), Dr Mombeshora said Zimbabwe was “on the right path” to attaining gold tier validation status, which recognises countries that have significantly reduced such transmissions.
“Your work is critical in helping Zimbabwe move forward towards gold tier validation for the triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission. We are not alone in this journey,” he told delegates.
Botswana recently became the first country in the region to achieve the gold tier status, a milestone Dr Mombeshora said Zimbabwe must aim to follow.
“If Botswana can do it, Zimbabwe can do it too. Our progress is encouraging. HIV prevalence is declining, and mother-to-child transmission has dropped to 6.5%, moving steadily towards our target of less than 5% by 2026,” he said.
The NVC, established in 2018, initially focused on HIV and syphilis before broadening its scope to include hepatitis B. This shift marked a national strategy to pursue a triple elimination approach.
Almost all pregnant women in Zimbabwe are now tested and treated for syphilis, while programmes to address hepatitis B are gathering pace, according to the ministry.
Dr Mombeshora urged health centres across the country’s ten provinces to strengthen their testing and treatment programmes.
“This validation process is not about ticking boxes. It is about ensuring that no child in Zimbabwe begins life with an infection that could have been prevented,” he said.
Zimbabwe is among 12 phase-one countries of the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children by 2030, which is scaling up initiatives to identify and treat children living with HIV.
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