Geneva, Switzerland | Denmark has become the first country in the European Union to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, following official certification by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The global health body announced the milestone on Thursday, describing it as a major public health achievement demonstrating that babies can be born free from preventable infections through sustained investment in maternal healthcare.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the achievement reflects strong political commitment and consistent investment in integrated maternal and child health services.
He noted that Denmark’s success shows that countries can protect pregnant women and newborns from HIV and syphilis when quality primary healthcare systems are prioritised.
The certification followed rigorous assessments conducted by WHO’s Regional Validation Committee in June 2025 and the Global Validation Advisory Committee in August 2025, confirming that Denmark met all elimination targets between 2021 and 2024. These included maintaining extremely low transmission rates and ensuring widespread prenatal testing and treatment coverage.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge said elimination requires testing and treating at least 95 percent of pregnant women while keeping infant infection rates below 50 cases per 100,000 births annually, benchmarks Denmark consistently achieved.
Health officials attributed the milestone to decades of sustained investment in universal healthcare, integrated pregnancy screening programmes, strong laboratory systems, and rights-based health policies.
Denmark’s Minister for the Interior and Health, Sophie Løhde, described the WHO validation as a proud national moment resulting from long-term efforts by healthcare professionals, midwives, and public health teams.
She said the country’s universal health system, founded on equal access to healthcare services, had been central to ensuring that every pregnant woman receives screening and treatment.
According to WHO, elimination means transmission has been reduced to near zero levels through prevention measures rather than the complete disappearance of disease.
Denmark is now working toward achieving “triple elimination,” which includes preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, with WHO providing continued technical support.
The country joins 22 other nations and territories worldwide that have achieved or are progressing toward elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B, including Botswana, Brazil, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Health data show Denmark has among the lowest infection rates globally, with about 5,950 people living with HIV and fewer than 0.1 percent of pregnant women affected. Routine prenatal screening and treatment have reduced mother-to-child transmission to zero cases in recent years.
