Brazil was 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. Health Minister Alexandre Padilha made the announcement on Friday (Dec. 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 present the certification to the Brazilian government.
“This means that Brazil has eliminated it thanks to the Unified Health System, the SUS, rapid tests in primary health units, prenatal tests, and HIV-positive pregnant women who take medication through SUS,” stated Minister Padilha.
He recalled that, a few decades ago, Brazil had philanthropic initiatives to maintain shelters for orphans with HIV who had lost their parents to AIDS.
“They sheltered babies who were born with HIV and whose parents had died. Fortunately, we no longer have that in our country, nor transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their babies,” he highlighted.
Brazil sent a dossier to the world organization in July, with SUS data in the country, he continued.
Source: Agência Brasil