Denmark has become the first country in the European Union to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on February 27, 2026.
“ Elimination means testing and treating at least 95 out of 100 pregnant women, and keeping new infections in infants below 50 per 100,000 births." , said Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
That " marks a major step forward in public health for Denmark“
That " marks a major step forward in public health for Denmark" , said the head of the UN agency Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement.
According to the international health organization, Denmark met the required targets between 2021 and 2024. "including low transmission rates and widespread coverage of prenatal testing and treatment for pregnant women"“.
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Denmark has low rates of HIV and syphilis among pregnant women
According to WHO figures, Denmark has low rates of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and syphilis among pregnant women.
Approximately 5,950 people are living with HIV in Denmark, a country of just over 6 million inhabitants, and less than 0.11 per 100,000 pregnant women are affected.
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Congenital syphilis, that is, syphilis transmitted from mother to baby, is also rare. In 2024, a total of 626 cases of syphilis were reported, most of them (524) in men.
The WHO also highlighted that Denmark was on track to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus.
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