The World Health Organization has certified Denmark as the first European Union member state to eliminate the vertical transmission of both HIV and syphilis — meaning neither disease is being passed from mothers to newborns at rates above internationally set thresholds.
WHO Europe Regional Director Hans Kluge outlined what the benchmark actually requires: “Elimination means testing and treating at least 95 out of every 100 pregnant women—and keeping new infant infections below 50 per 100,000 births.” Denmark met those targets consistently across a four-year window spanning 2021 to 2024, according to the organization.
The country’s underlying infection figures help explain why the goal was achievable. Fewer than 0.1% of pregnant women in Denmark are living with HIV, out of an estimated 5,950 total HIV-positive individuals nationwide. Congenital syphilis — the form of the disease acquired by infants during pregnancy or delivery — remains rare. Of the 626 syphilis cases recorded across the country in 2024, 524 were among men.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the milestone in a formal statement: “The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis marks a major public health achievement for Denmark.”
The certification hinges not only on low transmission numbers but also on demonstrated system-wide coverage — specifically, high uptake of prenatal screening and treatment among pregnant women, which WHO identified as central to Denmark meeting its required targets.
Hepatitis B may be next. WHO noted that Denmark is currently on course to achieve elimination of mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission as well, extending what could become a broader certification across all three diseases.
