Seychelles and Eritrea have adopted Abbott’s Determine Antenatal Care (ANC) Panel, a World Health Organisation (WHO)-prequalified integrated diagnostic test, in a renewed push to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B virus.
The integrated test offers what experts describe as a ‘one visit, one test, three results’ model, enabling simultaneous screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B from a single finger-prick blood sample, with results delivered within minutes.
This development was published by African Media Agency on its website on Thursday.
The development aligns with the WHO’s targets for the triple elimination of the three infections.
The publication stated that the Determine ANC Panel is the first and only WHO prequalified rapid diagnostic test that integrates a 4th-generation HIV test capable of detecting acute infection through p24 antigen, alongside syphilis and hepatitis B markers.
The company said the innovation was designed to strengthen antenatal care services, particularly in regions where pregnant women often attend limited antenatal visits, despite WHO recommendations.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a significant burden of maternal infections, with gaps in early testing continuing to drive preventable infant mortality.
In Seychelles, the Ministry of Health described the adoption as a milestone in its maternal and child health strategy.
‘As a proud island nation and among the first in the region to introduce the Integrated Determine Antenatal Care panel, we celebrate this important milestone as a reflection of our strong national commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission’, the ministry was quoted as stating.
‘This initiative improves early prenatal screening, ensuring prompt diagnosis and timely care, ensuring no mother or child is left behind, thereby promoting a healthier beginning for every Seychellois child’.
Eritrea’s Ministry of Health said the country was building on earlier gains in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV through strengthened primary healthcare systems.
‘Eritrea is committed to triple elimination and has already achieved elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by fully integrating eMTCT services in routine maternal and child health care’, the ministry said.
‘By further deploying integrated diagnostics (ANC panel) at the primary care level, the country is consolidating these gains and positioning itself as a frontrunner in translating global triple elimination commitments into practical innovations’.
Experts have continuously warned that without early diagnosis, syphilis and hepatitis B remain major contributors to adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term complications, including liver cirrhosis and cancer.
They note that syphilis alone can cause adverse birth outcomes in up to 60 per cent of untreated cases, while hepatitis B infection acquired at birth significantly increases the risk of chronic liver disease later in life.
Speaking at a policy roundtable in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2026, head of the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, Dr Andrew Mulwa, said Kenya was strengthening its policy framework to support triple elimination.
‘Kenya, being part of the global community, is keen on the triple elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, especially in pregnant and lactating women’, he said.
‘Kenya has currently updated the national PMTCT guidelines to reflect triple elimination and is excited by the new development of a panel that is able to test for the three diseases’.
Abbott’s General Manager for Rapid Diagnostics in Central, East and West Africa, Aziz Abdi, said the integrated test would transform antenatal screening.
‘Adoption of this test expands what’s possible in antenatal care, providing reliable results in minutes, not weeks’, he said.
‘It empowers healthcare workers to detect infections, including high-risk acute HIV, and act immediately, preventing transmission before it can reach the child and securing a healthier future for generations’.
Experts at the roundtable also stressed that HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B share common transmission pathways, making integrated screening a more efficient public health intervention.
They added that the adoption of the ANC panel strengthens national elimination strategies by closing long-standing gaps in antenatal testing and improvi
