Will All Children Be Born Free of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis-B by 2030?
Despite the availability of proven prevention methods, every day, children are still born with preventable infections like HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis-B. The lack of effective implementation of these life-saving interventions remains a critical issue. With the tools and strategies in place, it is crucial for governments to act decisively to ensure all children are born free from these three infections.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include ending AIDS, viral hepatitis, and other communicable diseases such as syphilis. Recent global strategies like the UNICEF, WHO, and UNAIDS roadmap aim to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of these infections by 2030. This builds on previous frameworks from the World Health Assembly and WHO, which outlined the ambition to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths by 2030.
Dr. Ishwar Gilada (Focal point, Chair of International AIDS Society Asia Pacific) emphasized the importance of proven tools in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. “We can and must ensure every child born to HIV positive pregnant women is HIV-free – because we have the proven tools and approaches to do so. There is no excuse for any further delay,” Dr. Gilada noted.
He also highlighted the historical effort of India’s non-profit sector in initiating HIV prevention programs long before government programs scaled up.
HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis-B can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. HIV, if left untreated, can result in up to 45% transmission, while untreated hepatitis-B may result in 70%-90% of infants becoming chronically infected. Syphilis increases the risk of stillbirth, low birth weight, and other serious health complications for infants. These infections are preventable with the right interventions, including antenatal screening, treatment for women and their partners, and vaccination for hepatitis-B.
However, despite these preventable measures, the numbers are alarming. According to UNAIDS, Asia Pacific alone is home to 9% of children living with HIV globally. In 2023, there were 120,000 children living with HIV in this region. While the number of new HIV infections among children has declined significantly since 2010, recent progress has stalled.
As Eamonn Murphy (UNAIDS Director for Asia Pacific) noted, “Around 30 children contract HIV every day in this region. No child should begin life with a disease we can prevent, and no family should miss out on the information, services, and support to give their children an HIV-free start.”
Hepatitis-B remains a major concern, with two-thirds of undiagnosed and untreated infections concentrated in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia. While high-income nations have seen effective hepatitis-B vaccination rates, the situation is much more dire in lower-income countries, where vaccination coverage is insufficient to halt the spread of the disease.
According to the WHO, in the Western Pacific region, chronic hepatitis-B infection affects about 5.92% of the adult population, with 470,000 deaths annually. Dr. Ishwar Gilada also pointed out the low cost of hepatitis-B vaccines, which cost less than INR 100 for full immunization, stressing that there is no excuse for inaction.
As governments prepare to meet the 2030 goal, several key steps are essential; which include antenatal screening for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis-B, access to treatment for affected mothers and their partners, safe delivery and infant care options, and improved vaccination rates and access to preventive treatments.
Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Maldives have already succeeded in eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and syphilis, offering hope that similar success can be achieved in other regions. However, the fight against these preventable infections requires urgent action, accountability, and sustained effort from all sectors, including the public and private health systems.
Pooja Mishra (National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India, NCPI Plus) highlighted the critical role of community engagement, stating, “Communities can help spur demand generation for services related to the Triple-H (HIV, hepatitis-B, and hepatitis-C virus). Public services related to prevention of vertical transmission of HIV are good in some places, but the private sector’s engagement remains suboptimal.”
With only six years remaining to meet the SDG targets, it is time to prioritize action. As Dr. Ishwar Gilada emphasized, “There is no excuse for inaction when proven tools are available. The world must commit to ensuring no child is born with these preventable infections.”
He also shared how the Indian Health Organisation had begun rolling out treatments to reduce vertical transmission of HIV as early as 1994—years before government programs scaled up.
The road to 2030 requires a collective effort to guarantee that every child is born free of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis-B, ensuring a healthier future for all.
