WHO certifies Barbados for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV
No new mother-to-child HIV infections were reported among babies born in Barbados between 2022 and 2024, health officials said.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Barbados has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV as a public health problem, a milestone following years of sustained work to ensure babies are born free of the virus.
"I congratulate Barbados on protecting a generation of children from HIV," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday 30 October. "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."
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Barbados joins 26 countries and territories worldwide recognised by WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B, or for being on track to do so. Fifteen of them are in the Americas, making the region the global leader.
High coverage
Certification follows an independent assessment confirming that Barbados met global targets. PAHO said that from 2022 to 2024 no new HIV infections from mother-to-child transmission were reported among infants born on the island.
Over that period, 98 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care, 98 per cent were tested for HIV and 98 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment.
"It is a proud moment for Barbados, the Caribbean and the global effort to end AIDS in children," said Dr Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO director and WHO Regional Director for the Americas.
Lisa Cummins, Barbados's Minister of Health and Wellness, said: "This is incredible for us, and it allows us to be able to see our children living their full, best lives."
Regional momentum
Robert Benes, UNICEF's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the achievement meant that "a diagnosis of HIV during pregnancy no longer has to mean transmission to a child."
Luisa Cabal, regional director of UNAIDS Latin America and the Caribbean, said the record "reflects political commitment, technical and community leadership and investment in integrated health services grounded in human rights and gender equality."
PAHO said Barbados follows recent certifications for the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (2026), Brazil (2025), and Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines (2024).
