Cuba has successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.
Every year, globally, around 1.4 million women living with HIV become pregnant.
Without receiving effective antiretroviral medicines, they have a 15-45% chance of transmitting the virus to their children during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding.
In Cuba, according to the available official data, less than 2% of children whose mothers have HIV are born with the virus - the lowest rate possible with the available prevention methods. Dr. Carissa Etienne, of the Pan American Health Organization, which has been working with the WHO, said: “Cuba’s achievement today provides inspiration for other countries to advance towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.”
