PANAMA, 30 October 2025—UNAIDS congratulates the Government and people of Barbados on obtaining certification of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, as determined by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Barbados was among the countries in the Americas that, in 2010, committed to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis under PAHO’s Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections. 

In 2025, PAHO/WHO conducted a visit to the island to assess services for pregnant and breastfeeding women, including testing and diagnostic services, as well as HIV-related services, maternal and child health clinics, immunization and epidemiological surveillance services that are essential to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. 

“UNAIDS is delighted to share in this achievement, made possible by the work and leadership of health-care workers, people living with HIV, civil society, and technical and political leaders, whose efforts have helped ensure that all women can receive the treatment and care they need to prevent HIV transmission to their babies,” said Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Today, we celebrate this achievement, which adds to the progress made across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Brazil, which was certified in December 2025. With the addition of Barbados, the region now accounts for 15 of the 23 countries and territories worldwide that have achieved certification of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, compared with 8 in other regions. This represents approximately 65% of all certifications globally and reflects the region's commitment, while reaffirming the importance of safeguarding the progress achieved to advance towards ending AIDS as a public health threat. 

UNAIDS recognizes PAHO’s leadership in the region and the work of all partners and allies, at both national and regional levels, who have contributed to these efforts. 

“The Caribbean has strong maternal health programmes that offer valuable lessons on how to protect the health and well-being of women and their babies,” Cabal said. “This achievement reflects political commitment, technical and community leadership, as well as investment in integrated health services grounded in human rights and gender equality.” 

UNAIDS encourages the Government of Barbados to build on this achievement through sustained investment in maternal and child health services, reliable access to medicines and diagnostic tests, action to tackle stigma and discrimination, and support for community-led responses that keep women and their families connected to care.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.