Mothers and babies can’t wait: A call for action to end mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B
White Paper
As the World Health Organization (WHO) works toward its goal to eliminate hepatitis B by 2030, the quest to halt hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission has never been more urgent.
Many of the key issues brought into focus over recent years have combined to delay progress of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of hepatitis B. Such issues include racial inequality, discrimination against women, and gross inequalities of healthcare access across the globe.
If we are to reach the 2030 hepatitis B elimination goals, we must address the systemic barriers to PMTCT around the world. Caring for women means providing antenatal care, sexual and reproductive health promotion, and access to essential and lifesaving care. Providing this to mothers, their new-borns and their children is vital for ensuring that hepatitis B is adequately addressed.
The triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B is an effort by WHO to encourage integrated care, and a commitment from countries to address all three diseases. As a global community, it is an opportunity for us to work together, strategically and cooperatively, to alter the lives of poor and underserved women and children within our global society.
Today, 26 July, we haved launched our white paper, outlining the context and human impact of mother-to-child transmission. The white paper makes recommendations, which, when carried out in addition to established guidelines, will ensure that PMTCT services are equitable, accessible, and available to all who need them.
This report was supported by Kedrion Biopharma, with an unrestricted educational grant.
