Brazil has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission—known as vertical transmission—as a public health problem. The announcement was made by Health Minister Alexandre Padilha on Friday (December 15) on CanalGov.
According to Minister Padilha, the board of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), along with WHO representatives, will visit Brazil this week to officially deliver the certification to the Brazilian government.
“This means that Brazil has succeeded in eliminating transmission thanks to the Unified Health System (SUS), rapid tests in primary health care units, prenatal exams, and treatment with medications provided by SUS for HIV-positive pregnant women,” stated Minister Padilha.
He recalled that a few decades ago, Brazil relied on philanthropic initiatives to maintain shelters for orphans with HIV who had lost their parents to AIDS.
“They sheltered babies born with HIV whose parents had died. Fortunately, we no longer have that reality in our country, nor the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their babies,” he highlighted.
Brazil submitted a dossier to the world organization in July with SUS data, the minister added.
Source: Agência Brasil