According to her, ending mother-to-child transmission must not be limited to clinical solutions but also strengthened health systems, effective community engagement that reaches the last mother in the smallest rural village, bold action against stigma, integrated service delivery, and strong political leadership.

Mrs. Mahama made this known at the Presidency in Accra on Thursday when she hosted her colleague African First Ladies at a High-Level Side Meeting on ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in Africa.

In attendance was the First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio. First Ladies also present were the First Lady of Kenya, Mrs. Rachel Ruto; The Gambia, Fatoumatta Bah Barrow; Liberia, Ms. Kartumu Yarta Boakai; and former First Lady of South Africa, Tobeka Stacie Madiba Zuma.

The meeting, Mrs. Mahama posited, presented the participants the opportunity to reaffirm Africa’s shared commitment to protecting women and children, stressing that meaningful progress would only come through the collective determination of all stakeholders.

“The power of this conference lies not in our titles, but in our shared determination to translate our advocacy into action.”

“As First Ladies, we carry a responsibility to elevate the voices of those who are too often unheard—the mothers in remote villages, the newborns who are vulnerable to preventable infections, and the communities striving for healthier lives,” she emphasised.

She acknowledged the progress made thus far though the statistics still remain high despite confirmation by the WHO and UNICEF that mother-to-child transmission rates could be reduced to five per cent.

On the progress made in Ghana, the First Lady said her office, in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission, has carried out community medical outreach programmes across various regions, including free screening for HIV and other conditions, comprehensive counselling, and direct access to quality care.

Calling for renewed commitment to ensure no child was born carrying a preventable infection and no mother deprived of her dignity, Mrs. Mahama charged that, “Let us leave here united in purpose and confident in action. Let us ensure that our advocacy results in accessible clinics, affordable medicines, trained health workers and empowered communities.”

Mrs. Maada Bio, on her part, stated that it was crucial they mobilised communities as their voices reach places where policies alone could not, forged partnerships that strengthen health systems, and end the silent killer—stigma.

Noting that the clock to 2030 was ticking fast, she stressed that the First Ladies must work fast and urgently because “Progress is not accidental. It is intentional. The goal of ending mother-to-child transmission is within our reach.”

“If Africa could unite for independence, it can unite for an AIDS-free continent,” Mrs. Boakai stated, adding that ending it is a justice and human rights issue.