Belize, Jamaica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines are the latest countries in the Americas to receive certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis (EMTCT).
The milestone was marked this week at a commemorative event organised by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Kingston, Jamaica, with support from UNICEF and UNAIDS and with the participation of health ministers from the three countries.
“This achievement is a testament to years of dedication, hard work, and collaboration among governments, health professionals, and communities”, PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa said at the event.
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Dr Barbosa also acknowledged the “remarkable resilience” displayed by the three countries, ensuring the adaptation and continuation of essential services despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I trust that the celebration today will inspire other countries to reinvigorate their commitments” towards a generation free of HIV and congenital syphilis.
In 2010, countries of the Americas committed to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis and endorsed the regional strategy, which was updated in 2016 under the PAHO Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
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To meet elimination targets, countries focused on strengthening prevention and treatment services within primary health care and in maternal and child health, updating guidelines, ensuring the effective screening of pregnant women, monitoring cases and following-up with HIV and syphilis exposed infants.
In a video message, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Belize for integrating primary disease prevention and treatment into maternal and child health services. He also commended Jamaica for its civil society organisations’ commitment to human rights and lauded St Vincent and the Grenadines for investing in robust national laboratory structures.
“While validation is a tremendous accomplishment, maintaining it requires sustained efforts to prevent new infections,” he said. “WHO and partners will continue to support all countries in the Americas to strengthen health systems, provide comprehensive services, and ensure the involvement of women in planning and service delivery.”
Globally, 19 countries and territories have now been certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis, with 11 of them located in the Americas.
In 2015, Cuba made history by becoming the first country in the world to achieve the dual elimination of HIV and syphilis.
This was followed by Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Montserrat and St Kitts and Nevis in 2017, and Dominica in 2020.
New HIV infections among children in the Caribbean decreased by 25 per cent between 2010 and 2022. During that period, annual notified cases declined from 2,000 to 1,500.
Reported cases of congenital syphilis in the English-speaking Caribbean now stand at 36 cases per 100,000 newborns, below the goal of no more than 50 cases per 100,000 newborns.
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