Barbados eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission as a public-health problem.
An independent WHO assessment found no such infant infections from 2022 through 2024, with 98% coverage for care, testing and treatment.
On October 30, the World Health Organization certified that Barbados had eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV as a public-health problem. No new infant HIV infections from mother-to-child transmission were reported among babies born in the country from 2022 through 2024.
WHAT HAPPENED
The independent assessment found that 98% of pregnant women received antenatal care, 98% were tested for HIV and 98% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment during the three-year assessment period. Testing and treatment are free for pregnant women regardless of nationality, and exposed babies receive early testing and follow-up. Barbados is now among 26 countries and territories recognized by WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B, or for being on track.
WHY THIS IS HOPESLOP
This milestone was built out of ordinary systems doing their work exceptionally well: universal appointments, confidential testing, free treatment and careful follow-up. “Eliminated as a public-health problem” is a precise certification, not a claim that HIV no longer exists; keeping the status will require continued investment and care.
ORIGINAL SOURCEWorld Health Organization / PAHORead the original report
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