Cuba Becomes First Nation to Eliminate Mother-to-Child HIV Tuesday June 30,2015

Cuba on Tuesday June 30,2015 became the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the World Health Organization said.

"Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.

"This is a major victory in our long fight against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and an important step towards having an AIDS-free generation."

Universal health coverage, improved access to tests and increased attention to maternal care were credited with the success, defined by health authorities as fewer than 50 cases of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis or HIV per 100,000 live births.

A small number of cases are allowed to persist, despite the certification, because antiretroviral treatment to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV is not 100 percent effective

Note

Each year, 1.4 million women living with HIV around the world become pregnant.

Left untreated, they have a 15 to 45 percent chance of passing the virus to their children during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding.

But the risk of transmission is just over one percent if antiretroviral medicines are given to both mothers and children.

The number children born annually with HIV was 400,000 in 2009.

By 2013, the number was down to 240,000 in 2013.