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The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that the Republic of the Maldives has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis.
This makes the Maldives the first country in the world to achieve 'triple elimination'.
Mother-to-child transmission leads to infections that affect millions worldwide. In the WHO South-East Asia Region alone, provisional estimates indicate that in 2024, more than 23,000 pregnant women had syphilis and over 8000 infants were born with congenital syphilis.
About 25,000 HIV-positive pregnant women require treatment to prevent transmission to their babies, while hepatitis B continues to affect more than 42 million people in the Region.
"Maldives' achievement is a testament to its unwavering commitment towards universal health coverage, to provide quality and equitable care across its dispersed islands to all, including migrants," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, in a press release on October 13, 2025.
"This landmark feat is an important step towards 'Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,' for improving maternal and newborn health by ending preventable deaths and prioritizing long-term well-being. I congratulate the Maldives and look forward to the country pioneering progress in many other areas, while sustaining these gains."
Located in the eastern Arabian Sea, within the northern Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a tourist favorite destination.
As of October 14, 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends various routine and travel vaccinations before visiting the Maldives this year.
Malaria was eliminated from Greece in 1974. Since then, several (20-110) imported cases are reported annually to the National Public Health Organization (NPHO), referring to patients infected abroad in countries such as those in Africa and India.
As of early September 2025, there is evidence of probable local transmission/introduction (first-generation transmission) in two P. falciparum malaria cases who arrived in Greece in October 2024 from a malaria-endemic country.
According to the NPHP, the probable place of exposure is a rural village in the Municipality of Thiva, Regional Unit of Voiota.
As of September 14, 2025, no additional malaria cases were detected in the village.
Currently, the U.S. CDC and the UK do not recommend malaria vaccination before Greece.
While there are two WHO-approved malaria vaccines in use in 17 countries, neither are available in the USA. These malaria vaccines were added to the WHO's list of prequalified vaccines in 2024.
French Polynesia, located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, has been a dream vacation destination for decades.
However, these islands are also home to dengue fever, which is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
According to Bulletin de surveillance sanitaire de Polynésie française n°34, published on September 2, 2025, there were 22 new dengue cases (19 confirmed last week.
And the blue alert for DENV-1 remains in effect.
Since November 2023, a total of 2,577 cases have been recorded.
To alert international travelers of this health risk, the U.S. CDC's Travel Health Advisory issued on August 21, 2025, included French Polynesia.
The CDC identified the island groups of the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora), the Marquesas Islands (Hiva Oa and Ua Huka), and the Austral Islands (Tubuai and Rurutu).
The CDC reported that these countries are experiencing higher-than-usual numbers of cases and have identified a higher-than-expected number of dengue cases among U.S. travelers returning from those countries.
While a second-generation dengue vaccine is available in various countries, it is not offered in the USA.
Fortunately, several dengue vaccine candidates are conducting late-stage research focused on preventing all four virus types from infecting people.
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