Government is stepping up efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis B, with rising adolescent pregnancies and low Hepatitis B screening coverage emerging as major obstacles to the national target.
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, said Zimbabwe had made progress towards the World Health Organisation (WHO) triple elimination targets, but warned that persistent gaps in maternal healthcare required urgent and coordinated interventions.
Speaking at the fourth quarter National Validation Committee meeting on Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT), in Harare, today, Dr Mombeshora said the programme remained a key Government priority in safeguarding maternal and child health.
“This is my Ministry’s ambition for the country; and is aligned to the global agenda that has been set by the World Health Organization for all countries,” he said.
Antenatal care coverage improved from 84% in 2025 to 90% in the first half of 2026, although it remains below the national target of 95%.
However, the high prevalence of adolescent pregnancies remains a major concern, with nearly half of all pregnancies recorded between January and June 2026 involving adolescent girls and young women. The period also recorded 704 antenatal care bookings among girls aged between 10 and 14.
Dr Mombeshora called for stronger adolescent-friendly health services, community engagement and comprehensive sexuality education to protect vulnerable girls and prevent new HIV infections.
Syphilis screening coverage also declined from 95% in 2025 to 86% during the first half of 2026, against a national target of at least 95%, largely due to disruptions in the availability of HIV/syphilis dual test kits.
Hepatitis B screening remains the biggest challenge, with coverage among pregnant women standing at 20% against a target of 90%, although this represents an improvement from 15% recorded in 2025.
Dr Mombeshora said Government was prioritising expanded Hepatitis B screening in antenatal care facilities and the introduction of the Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination programme.
“I am pleased to note that, with support from UNICEF, 45 healthcare workers in Masvingo Province were recently trained in Hepatitis B testing and management,” he said.
He also acknowledged the National AIDS Council’s support in procuring Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF) for the management of Hepatitis B-positive, HIV-negative pregnant women.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is strengthening preparations for WHO validation of its triple elimination programme, with four provinces — Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Bulawayo Metropolitan — having conducted pre-validation assessments.
Bulawayo Metropolitan and Mashonaland Central have successfully completed their assessments, while support for the remaining provincial exercises has been incorporated into the Global Fund Grant Cycle 8.
Dr Mombeshora said the assessments would help identify service delivery gaps and successful interventions that could be replicated nationally.
He stressed that eliminating mother-to-child transmission required stronger community participation beyond the health facilities.
“The achievement of EMTCT targets cannot be realized by relying only on our health care workers in facilities; it requires active community participation, ownership, and engagement,” he said.
He highlighted the contribution of male mobilisers, young mentor mothers and village health workers in encouraging pregnant women to seek timely healthcare and improving access to essential services.
The Minister also called for more rigorous data collection across public and private health institutions to strengthen monitoring, guide resource allocation and improve service delivery.
“By harnessing the power of information, we can tailor our strategies, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately save lives,” he said.
He said Government remained committed to ensuring that every pregnant woman received comprehensive maternal healthcare and every child had an opportunity to grow up free from preventable infections.
