The Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) is delighted to announce the launch of a supplement, titled “Unfinished Business in Elimination of Vertical HIV Transmission and Ensuring HIV-Free Survival”. It was guest edited by Lynne M Mofenson (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, USA), Jorge Pinto (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Angela Mushavi (AIDS and TB Unit, Ministry of Health, Zimbabwe).

Research in maternal and paediatric HIV has made significant progress in recent decades, and vertical transmission rates have dropped to less than 2% when adequate care is provided and adhered to [1]. Despite these global strides, eliminating vertical transmission remains a global public health priority, and significant challenges persist in optimizing maternal adherence to antiretroviral treatment, managing late-presenting pregnancies and addressing health disparities in resource-limited settings.

Global efforts are required to sustain focus on pharmacological innovation, implementation research and the evaluation of emerging strategies. In a rapidly changing funding environment, this supplement explores how to optimize existing tools to end paediatric HIV transmission and AIDS, maximize the impact of HIV prevention and treatment services, support innovation in a time of reduced resources and provide a framework to put the field back on track to eliminate paediatric HIV acquisition.

By integrating evidence from clinical studies, surveillance programmes and real-world implementation, this multidisciplinary collection offers actionable insights into best practices and future directions for addressing persistent challenges and advancing the prevention of vertical HIV transmission. It also reinforces the need for renewed momentum towards not only eliminating vertical HIV acquisition, but also achieving the triple elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.

Please help us inform others about this important topic by promoting and sharing this supplement across your networks.

This supplement was organized by the Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) at IAS – the International AIDS Society – through an educational grant from ViiV Healthcare.

For enquiries or further information, please contact editorial@jiasociety.org

The Journal of the International AIDS Society is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, which publishes HIV-related research from various disciplines and particularly encourages submissions in implementation sciences.