Barbados has received official certification from the World Health Organisation for eliminating HIV transmission from pregnant women to their babies, a milestone achieved through years of sustained public health work.
The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the recognition on Friday. "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.
The island now stands among 26 countries and territories worldwide that have either eliminated or are on track to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B. The Americas leads globally in this category, with 15 nations and territories having achieved or nearing the goal.
Barbados' Health Minister Senator Lisa Cummins described the achievement as transformative for families. "This is incredible for us, and it allows us to be able to see our children living their full, best lives. It allows mothers to be able to have the benefit of treatment during pregnancy, before treatment, but also, it means that we're able to ensure that we have a healthier population," she said.
The WHO certification followed an independent assessment confirming that Barbados met global elimination targets. Between 2022 and 2024, no infants born in the country contracted HIV through mother-to-child transmission.
The assessment documented consistently high service uptake across the three-year period: 98 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care, 98 per cent underwent HIV testing, and 98 per cent of pregnant women with HIV received antiretroviral medication.
Cummins credited the Government of Barbados, the Pan American Health Organisation, WHO and other collaborating partners for strengthening HIV services and care standards that made the achievement possible.
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