In 2022, the World Health Organization launched the triple elimination initiative to leverage existing health platforms to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. To advance this agenda, the Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) programme of IAS – the International AIDS Society – organized a series of sessions at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), held on 3 and 4 December 2025 in Accra, Ghana.
Drawing on country experiences, policy updates and forward-looking discussions, the first two sessions titled, “The triple elimination agenda: Optimizing systems for the elimination of paediatric HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B”, examined progress and opportunities to strengthen health systems in support of triple elimination.
The third session titled, “Addressing social and structural barriers that hinder access to vertical transmission prevention services”, focused on the social and structural factors that continue to impede access to services for preventing vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
To further promote cross-country learning and collaboration, CIPHER awarded collaborative learning visit grants to country teams from Nigeria and Mozambique. These grants support visits to an African country with successful vertical transmission prevention strategies, enabling teams to exchange insights and implementation lessons with peers across different settings.
Co-chairs: Helena Nangombe, HIV Advocate and Community Expert and Shaffiq Essajee, UNICEF
Presenters: Akudo Ezinne Ikpeazu, WHO AFRO; Ider Dungerdorj, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa; Kimberly Green, PATH; Albert Komba, PATH and Cecilia Senoo, Hope For Future Generations, Ghana.
Panellists: Shaffiq Essajee, UNICEF (facilitator); Luann Hatane, PATA, South Africa (facilitator); Kassim Issah, Ministry of Health, Malawi; Abdoulie Jallow, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, The Gambia; Oprare Dansoa, Ghana; Tracybel Owusu, Ghana; Deo Mutambuka, Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV, Rwanda and Agnes Ronan, PATA, South Africa