Barbados has been certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, according to UNAIDS, after an assessment by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The announcement was made on October 30, 2026.
According to UNAIDS, the certification follows a 2025 PAHO/WHO visit that reviewed services for pregnant and breastfeeding women, including testing, diagnostics, maternal and child health clinics, immunization and surveillance. Barbados had committed to the goal in 2010 under PAHO's regional plan for preventing HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
The achievement places Barbados among 15 countries and territories in the Americas certified for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, out of 23 worldwide, according to UNAIDS. Brazil was certified in December 2025, the agency said.
UNAIDS urged Barbados to sustain the progress through continued investment in maternal and child health services, reliable access to medicines and diagnostic tests, action against stigma, and support for community-led responses. Certification recognises that prevention systems meet the required standard; it does not mean HIV has disappeared entirely.
What happens next will be watched closely in the region, as other Caribbean countries continue work toward the same certification and share lessons on testing, treatment and follow-up care for mothers and babies.