Brazil has been officially validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, making it the most populous country in the Americas to achieve this milestone. This success reflects Brazil’s longstanding commitment to universal and free health services through its Unified Health System (SUS), supported by a strong primary healthcare network and a focus on human rights.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the achievement as a major public health milestone, emphasizing that sustained political commitment and equitable access to quality health services can ensure that every child is born free of HIV and every mother receives necessary care. The milestone was celebrated in Brasília with the participation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, and PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, alongside representatives from UNAIDS.
Brazil met all validation criteria, including reducing vertical transmission of HIV to below 2% and achieving over 95% coverage for prenatal care, routine HIV testing, and timely treatment for pregnant women living with HIV. The country demonstrated quality service delivery for mothers and infants, robust data and laboratory systems, and strong commitments to human rights, gender equality, and community engagement. Brazil implemented a progressive subnational approach, certifying states and municipalities with populations over 100,000 while maintaining national consistency.
Independent experts, supported by PAHO, conducted an evaluation of health facility operations, documentation, and data, which was assessed by WHO’s Global Validation Advisory Committee, resulting in Brazil’s formal validation. PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa emphasized that the achievement is the result of the dedication of health professionals, community health workers, and civil society organizations ensuring continuity of care, even for the most vulnerable populations.
Over the past decade, the initiative has averted more than 50,000 pediatric HIV infections in the Americas. Brazil’s success is part of the EMTCT Plus Initiative, which also addresses syphilis, hepatitis B, and congenital Chagas, in collaboration with UNICEF and UNAIDS, under PAHO’s broader effort to eliminate over 30 communicable diseases in the region by 2030. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima highlighted Brazil’s approach of prioritizing universal health care, tackling social determinants of the epidemic, protecting human rights, and ensuring access to essential medicines.
Globally, Brazil is among 19 countries validated for EMTCT of HIV, with 12 in the Americas. The region has seen earlier validations in countries including Cuba, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Other countries outside the Americas with validation include Armenia, Belarus, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
