Barbados has earned certification from the World Health Organisation for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission as a public health threat, a milestone achieved through sustained effort to ensure babies are born free of the virus.
The certification rests on an independent assessment showing that from 2022 through 2024, Barbados recorded no new cases of HIV acquired by infants through transmission from their mothers. Health services maintained consistently high standards across that period.
The numbers tell the story of the island's success. Nearly all pregnant women in Barbados received antenatal care: 98% attended services, 98% were tested for HIV, and 98% of those living with HIV took antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy.
Barbados is now one of 15 countries and territories in the Americas to achieve this recognition from WHO, a higher concentration than any other global region. Worldwide, 26 nations and territories have been certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B, or are on track to do so.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the island's approach to universal health coverage. "Barbados has shown what universal health coverage looks like in practice: free services for every pregnant woman, regardless of nationality, and care that respects her rights and privacy," he said.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation and WHO Regional Director for the Americas, said the result proves that eliminating the transmission is achievable when barriers to quality care fall away. "Barbados has shown that eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV is possible when women and children have access to quality health services without barriers," he said.
Barbados Minister of Health and Wellness Lisa Cummins described the achievement as transformative for the nation's children and public health. "This is incredible for us, and it allows us to be able to see our children living their full, best lives," she said.
The breakthrough emerged from sustained partnership involving the Barbados government, PAHO/WHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS, all of whom welcomed the certification. Robert Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, noted that the milestone means pregnant women with HIV no longer face automatic transmission to their babies, because testing, treatment and care now reach those who need them.
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