By Fidel Boy Leon
Uganda is hosting Africa’s first-ever high-level conference focused on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, three diseases that continue to pose severe risks to maternal and child health across the continent.
The three-day summit, held under the theme “Unifying Actions, Transforming Futures: Achieving Triple Elimination in Africa by 2030,” has brought together health experts, researchers, policymakers, and international partners in Kampala with one mission: to coordinate a continent-wide response that matches the scale of the challenge.
Triple elimination refers to the coordinated effort to stop the transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. It is not simply about reducing infections, it’s about halting them altogether in newborns.
Achieving this would mark a historic public health milestone, particularly for Africa, where the burden of these infections remains disproportionately high.
Though significant strides have been made in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, progress on syphilis and hepatitis B remains dangerously slow, despite their devastating health and economic impact.
Much of this stems from limited funding, inadequate screening, and a lack of integration within routine antenatal care services. For instance, many health centres focus primarily on HIV testing and prevention during pregnancy but do not consistently screen for syphilis or offer the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine.
Stigma and low public awareness also play a role, with many expectant mothers being unaware that they carry these infections or of the serious consequences for their unborn children. As a result, while significant progress has been made in reducing new HIV infections amongst infants, syphilis and hepatitis B continue to quietly contribute to stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and long-term health complications.
“As Africa, and as a global community, we must act with unity, innovation, and purpose to advance maternal and child health and eliminate mother-to-child transmission,” President Yoweri Museveni stated in remarks delivered by Vice President Jessica Alupo.
Museveni noted that these three interconnected epidemics are a major burden to public health, transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, endangering newborns and undermining health systems.
Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), also known as vertical transmission, can occur during pregnancy, labour, delivery, or breastfeeding. For HIV, the virus may pass through the placenta, be exposed to maternal blood during delivery, or breastmilk.
Syphilis, a bacterial infection, can cross the placenta at any stage of pregnancy and lead to stillbirth, deformities, or neurological damage in infants. Hepatitis B, a viral infection affecting the liver, is most commonly passed to a newborn during childbirth if the mother is infected.
Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng shared sobering statistics that over 26 million Africans live with HIV, comprising 65% of the global burden. Syphilis is surging across the continent, with 700,000 congenital cases and 230,000 deaths annually. Meanwhile, 65 million Africans are living with hepatitis B, responsible for 63% of new global infections.
Only Botswana and Namibia—two countries on a continent of 54 — are on track to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.
The Kampala conference is a rallying point for coordinated continental action. Anchored in the World Health Organisation’s 2030 elimination goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the meeting underscores Africa’s collective commitment to building a healthier, more resilient future.
It also comes at a time of heightened urgency, as donor priorities shift and the disease burden grows. Against this backdrop, the conference signals a new era of regional solidarity, where African nations are not just reacting to health challenges, but working together to eliminate them at their root.
“Integration is the way to go now, especially in this era of unprecedented funding challenges,” Aceng emphasised. “We are already seeing a reduction in support from development partners.”
Uganda’s hosting of the summit is symbolic. We have been on the front line of HIV research and treatment for decades. But like many others, it now faces the dual burden of sustaining gains in HIV prevention while scaling up neglected areas like syphilis detection and hepatitis B immunisation.
Through the Ministry of Health, Uganda is advocating for:
- Integrated health services that tackle all three diseases simultaneously
- Increased domestic financing for maternal and child health
- Enhanced laboratory infrastructure for early diagnosis and treatment
- Strong political leadership and accountability
This high-level meeting in Kampala marks a defining moment for African public health. With maternal and child lives hanging in the balance, and with infections rising, the window for effective intervention is rapidly closing.
The World Health Organisation defines elimination as reducing transmission to levels so low that it is no longer considered a public health threat. If the continent’s leaders heed the urgency echoed throughout the summit and back it with financial and institutional commitment, then the triple elimination goal by 2030 will be achieved.