- One visit, one test, three results: A single, rapid test provides screening for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, transforming antenatal care where it’s needed most
- Abbott’s Determine
VICTORIA, Seychelles, 11 June 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – In a landmark step for public health in Africa, Seychelles and Eritrea have adopted Abbott’s integrated Determine
With preventable infections still driving high infant mortality across the continent, this innovative approach addresses a critical gap in infant and maternal healthcare by enabling rapid triple disease screening in one antenatal visit. Actions supporting triple elimination remain urgent as currently:
- An estimated 1.3 million women with HIV become pregnant each year worldwide. [1]
- An estimated 1 million pregnant women worldwide are diagnosed with syphilis, with the highest burden borne by Sub-Saharan Africa. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, syphilis carries 60% risk of adverse birth outcomes. [2]
- Globally, an estimated 71.4 million women of childbearing age were living with chronic HBV infection in 2021.[3] Mother-to-child transmission of chronic HBV infection could result in potential progression to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma in adulthood.[3]
- In Sub-Saharan Africa, where many pregnant women attend only one antenatal visit despite WHO recommendations for eight, missed testing opportunities represent a major barrier to preventing vertical transmission.[4].
Abbott’s Determine
- HIV (including p24 antigen and antibodies),
- Syphilis (treponemal antibodies), and
- Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from a single finger-prick blood sample[5].
The assay meets WHO prequalification performance requirements across all three analytes, with high sensitivity and specificity demonstrated in clinical evaluations [6]. Crucially, by enabling detection of HIV p24 antigen, a marker for acute HIV, the ANC panel supports earlier identification of acute HIV cases and timely interventions to reduce the risk of vertical transmission. At the same time, its antibody detection capability allows for the identification of chronic HIV infections during pregnancy – enabling access to appropriate treatment, prophylaxis and supportive care. Effective treatments exist for all three infections if they are detected early enough.
“As a proud island nation and amongst the first in the region to introduce the Integrated Determine
“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,” said the Ministry of Health, Eritrea. “By further deploying integrated diagnostics (ANC panel) at primary care level, the country is consolidating these gains and positioning itself as a frontrunner in translating global triple elimination commitments into practical innovations.”
At a policy roundtable held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2026, Dr Andrew Mulwa, the head of the National AIDS and STIs Control Program in Kenya (NASCOP) said “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. 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.”
“Adoption of this test expands what’s possible in antenatal care, providing reliable results in minutes, not weeks,” said Aziz Abdi, General Manager for Abbott’s rapid diagnostics business in Central, East and West Africa. “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.”
Other experts who attended the policy roundtable reinforced a critical reality that HIV, syphilis, and HBV share the same transmission pathways and require a unified response. By enabling the detection of three diseases in one test panel during one visit, the ANC panel strengthens national elimination strategies.
As Eritrea and Seychelles lead the way, the opportunity now exists for health systems across Africa to further strengthen antenatal screening by expanding access to the integrated ANC panel – ensuring timely care and reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission. Every mother deserves the chance to protect her child from HIV, syphilis, and HBV through early detection and timely care.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Abbott
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References:
[1] WHO. Mother to child transmission of HIV. Geneva: World Health Organization, HIV – Technical work
[2] Moseley P, Bamford A, Eisen S, et al. Resurgence of congenital syphilis: New strategies against an old foe 2023. Resurgence of congenital syphilis: new strategies against an old foe – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
[3] Zhang, H., & Wang, H. (2025). Global burden, trends and inequalities of hepatitis B among women of childbearing age, 1990–2021. Annals of Medicine, 57(1), 2581924. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2025.2581924
[4] Demissie, K.A., Jejaw, M., Wondimu, B.G, et al. 2024. Only 9% of mothers have eight and more ANC visits in 14 Sub Saharan African countries: evidence from the most recent DHS 2018–2023 Only 9% of mothers have eight and more ANC visit in 14 sub-saharan African countries; evidence from the most recent DHS 2018-2023: a multilevel analysis – PubMed
[6] WHO PQ Public Report, 2025. 40006330 Determine ANC CPK-038 (10T) box-A-R1-outline-un-locked
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