Denmark Eliminates Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis

Country certified: Denmark (first EU nation)\
WHO certification: Elimination of mother‑to‑child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis\
EMTCT criteria:
MTCT rate < 50 per 100,000 live births\
≥95% of pregnant women receive testing and appropriate treatment\
Global context: Over 20 countries/territories worldwide have achieved or are progressing towards EMTCT certification (e.g., Brazil, Botswana, Malaysia, Maldives).\
WHO Triple Elimination Strategy: Targets HIV, syphilis, and Hepatitis B through four pillars:

Universal antenatal care\
Integrated maternal infection testing\
Effective treatment protocols\
Strong health‑system support with community engagement and human‑rights protections.

Mother‑to‑Child Transmission (MTCT): Transmission of infections from mother to infant during pregnancy, labour, or breastfeeding. Without intervention, MTCT leads to infant infections, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital disease.
HIV: Attacks CD4 cells; untreated leads to AIDS.\
Syphilis: Caused by Treponema pallidum; can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and severe organ damage if untreated.
Denmark’s approach: Robust antenatal screening, free ART for HIV‑positive mothers, timely syphilis treatment, and strong primary‑care integration.

Policy Benchmark: Denmark’s model offers a template for India’s National Health Mission (NHM) – RMNCH+A and National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) to achieve SDG‑3 target of ending epidemics of AIDS and other communicable diseases.
Current Indian Scenario: While India has scaled up HIV testing in antenatal clinics, coverage hovers around 80‑85%, short of the WHO 95% benchmark. Syphilis screening remains uneven across states.
Action Points for India:
Expand point‑of‑care rapid tests in all primary health centres.
Ensure free, lifelong ART for HIV‑positive pregnant women.
Integrate syphilis testing into the existing HIV antenatal screening algorithm.
Strengthen data‑driven monitoring to meet WHO validation thresholds.
Constitutional/Legal Provisions: Article 21 (right to life) interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to health; National Health Policy 2017 emphasizes universal health coverage and maternal‑child health.

Article 21, Constitution of India: Guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, interpreted to encompass the right to health.
National Health Policy 2017 & 2022: Emphasize reduction of maternal and child mortality and elimination of communicable diseases.
SDG‑3 (UN): Target 3.3 aims to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases, and to combat hepatitis, water‑borne diseases and other communicable diseases.