Reflections from the HIVE-day: The network’s countries’ collaborative meeting

On the 13th of June 2026, PATA in collaboration with ICAP hosted a HIVE-day bringing together multi-stakeholders from the six countries implementing the project. The convening was a powerful reminder of the importance of integration, innovation, and community voice in reprioritizing the Vertical Transmission Prevention (VTP) strategies for achieving the ambitious goal of eliminating vertical transmission (EVT) of HIV to end AIDS in children by 2030, even amid resource limitations.

A call to action from the top

The meeting was opened with powerful remarks from Dr. Musa Manganye (NDOH), who credited the VTP approach with “working magic to end AIDS in children.” He encouraged all participants to foster collaboration, share best practices, and drive innovation. Most importantly, he called on partners to amplify community voices especially during times of scarcity to sustain efforts toward EVT.

PATA’s Yasteel Maharaj reiterated that PATA remains committed to using tools like the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and the Tier tool to support subnational planning that aligns with national strategies. He shared that PATA will soon engage with three PATA-supported HIVE countries i.e., South Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria to facilitate this alignment, building platforms for linking and learning.

Countries snapshot

Each country’s update reflected both progress and persisting challenges across the VTP priority areas. It was encouraging to hear countries such as Kenya and Tanzania sharing the great progress in monitoring the mother-baby pair using unique patient identifiers. However, all countries are still experiencing significant hurdles in addressing postnatal vertical transmission.

Community Voice 

One of the most compelling parts of the meeting came from the voices of those most affected.

• Robinah Babirye (AYP+), a young mother living with HIV, shared her lived experience, proudly noting that she was born with HIV, has been thriving with It and she recently gave birth to an HIV-free child. Her message was clear; “Are we considering the primary beneficiary when we talk about reprioritizing?” She called on all stakeholders to meaningfully include recipients of care in decision-making, especially during critical discussions like the HIVE-day.
• Anele Yawa (TAC-SA) raised urgent concerns about HIV prevention education, and the inclusion of key populations such as sex workers and people who inject drugs (PWID) in the VTP program. He criticized the neglect of HIV-negative pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) in prevention efforts and advocated for community-led education efforts, with proper support for community-based organizations.

Closing remarks

The closing remarks from the Gates Foundation were both sobering and energizing. “Emergencies come from disasters, this is a disaster, and it is local,” the representative stated, emphasizing the need to mobilize local resources and advocate more loudly to funders. Echoing George Box, he reminded us that “all models are wrong, but some are useful” and it is up to us to apply the most effective tools to local contexts. Above all, there was strong affirmation that the HIVE network is the right group to tackle this disaster.

In summary

The HIVE-day was more than just a review of project data and plans, it was a reminder of why we do this work. It centered the voices of those affected, challenged us to think innovatively, and reinforced that the tools and knowledge already exist, we now need collaboration, coordination, commitment, and community leadership to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV.