Eight Caribbean countries revalidated for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis

According to Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Caribbean is poised to advance with the elimination of key communicable diseases and conditions. He highlighted this at the opening of the Forty-fifth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Health in September.

In 2023, eight Caribbean countries and territories, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis, were revalidated as achieving the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis (EMTCT). Dr. Barbosa shared that Belize had now joined this list of countries certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as having eliminated EMTCT earlier this year.

In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to receive validation from WHO for EMTCT.

According to WHO, every year, globally, an estimated 1.4 million women living with HIV become pregnant. Untreated, they have a 15-45% chance of transmitting the virus to their children during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding. However, that risk drops to just over 1% if antiretroviral medicines are given to both mothers and children throughout the stages when infection can occur.

WHO has developed guidelines for HIV prevention, care and treatment for infected pregnant women, mothers and their children. WHO also promotes the integration of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) into maternal, newborn and child health services to further strengthen health systems.

Source: CARICOM TODAY