Oman has become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to eliminate the transmission of diseases like HIV and syphilis from mothers to their children.
According to Muscat Daily, it is the first in the region to be awarded a certificate of validation from the World Health Organisation showing that it is a country which has succeeded in achieving a global health strategy which aims to end mother-child transmission of HIV in at least 50 countries by 2025.
The End Mother To Child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis project was launched in Oman in July 2020. This resulted in the formation of a committee with 17 experts to review and revise already existing policies on HIV and syphilis in all regions in Oman.
The committee itself was divided into four areas called programme and service delivery, data and laboratory, human rights and gender equality, and community involvement.
Each of these conducted interviews and analysed Oman’s healthcare system in line with WHO standards on HIV and syphilis.
After that, outcomes were then presented to a national committee for discussions and action.
Commenting on the decision to tackle mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the Oman Ministry of Health said: “It is due to Oman’s firm commitment to policy and public health, a resilient health system, and access to high quality maternal and child services”.
