A woman holding a pregnancy test. Photo pexels-tima-miroshnichenko-6462737
Unitaid is taking a major step to improve maternal and newborn health with a US$25 million investment aimed at eliminating vertical (mother-to-child) transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas disease.
The initiative, led by PATH under the SAFEStart+ project, will integrate high-quality care into a common antenatal service platform, expanding access to vital screening and treatment for women and newborns.
SAFEStart+ will operate in Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Paraguay, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam.
“Through enabling greater integration and people-centered care, this initiative will increase reach and uptake of life-saving products and services for women and their families,” said Dr. Kimberly Green, Global Program Director, Primary Health Care, PATH.
“Eliminating vertical transmission by strengthening country and community leadership, health systems, and primary health care are foundational to our approach.”
Addressing a Preventable Health Crisis
Each year, these four preventable infections affect millions of pregnant women and contribute to more than 1 million cases of avoidable illness, disability, or death among newborns.
When left undiagnosed or untreated, they can cause stillbirths, chronic illness, and lifelong health complications.
The tools to stop transmission, simple diagnostic tests, and affordable treatments already exist, but they do not reach populations in need due to fragmented markets, limited manufacturing capacity, and underfunded delivery systems, among other challenges.
SAFEStart+ will support countries and communities in designing and scaling integrated, people-centered services that meet local needs.
This includes expanding access to new diagnostics that can detect multiple infections with a single test and reinforcing antenatal care services to deliver preventive treatment when it matters most.
“With timely access to the right interventions, these diseases are entirely preventable,” said Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.
“Unitaid’s investment is about more than just products; it’s about partnering with women and communities to reimagine how care is delivered to ensure every baby has a healthy start.”
Community-Led Solutions and Equity
Designed to reach those most at risk, including adolescents and women with limited access to care, SAFEStart+ will support community-led monitoring and enable local community and civil society organizations to co-design people-centered solutions in nine countries.
Community partners WHA and ICWEA will lead efforts to design tailored models that break down barriers like stigma and gender inequity, helping build trust and drive uptake of services while advancing equity and human rights in health systems.
“Community-led responses are essential to ending vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B,” said Lillian Mworeko, Executive Director, ICWEA.
“Through SAFEStart+, ICWEA will amplify the voices and priorities of women to shape services that reflect their lived experiences and realities. By leveraging community-led monitoring and meaningful engagement, we will ensure that prevention and treatment efforts are not only accessible but also equitable and responsive, accelerating progress towards elimination goals and healthier futures for mothers and babies.”
Strengthening Health Systems and Global Collaboration
With PATH leading direct implementation, PAHO and WHO will provide technical guidance to support countries to align policy with practice.
They will guide evidence generation, coordinate technical alignment across stakeholders, contribute to research protocol development, and validate country progress towards global targets for eliminating mother-to-child transmission.
Through an innovative approach to pooling resources, Unitaid is also partnering with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and PATH on a learning agenda and implementation science project in four countries.
The agenda aims to expand hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination and maternal screening and treatment, ensuring timely protection for both mothers and newborns.
Unitaid’s investment to eliminate vertical transmission includes US$21 million in support of the SAFEStart+ program, with an additional US$3 million and US$0.8 million to WHO and PAHO, respectively, for technical guidance and support.
By integrating services, strengthening community leadership, and expanding access to essential tools, Unitaid’s initiative will help countries build stronger, more equitable health systems that work for women and families, ensuring that essential technologies are not only developed but delivered to those who need them most.
About PATH
PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity.
With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.
About Unitaid
Unitaid saves lives by making new health products affordable and available in low- and middle-income countries.
Since 2006, Unitaid has unlocked over 100 health products, addressing HIV, TB, malaria, women’s and children’s health, and pandemic preparedness.
Every year, these products benefit more than 300 million people. Unitaid is a hosted partnership of the World Health Organization.
