Jamaica, having initiated the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT+) Programme back in 2004, now proudly joins Belize and St Vincent and the Grenadines in achieving zero transmission of HIV and syphilis from mothers to their babies.
To commemorate this remarkable milestone, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), will be hosting a prestigious certification ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston today.
“It’s a monumental achievement, one that we’ve diligently worked towards over the years with our invaluable partners, including PAHO, UNAIDS, USAID, and various other crucial supporters who have provided financial, strategic, and operational assistance in addressing this issue,” expressed Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
Dr. Kevin Harvey, Caribbean regional director at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, echoed this sentiment, describing it as a long-awaited and tremendous achievement, made possible through the collective efforts of many individuals over the past two decades.
“This signals to the country that not only can we eradicate mother-to-child transmission, but we now possess all the necessary tools to effectively control the HIV epidemic, provided we implement them,” Dr. Harvey emphasized.
While celebrating this milestone, he emphasized the need to focus on preventing new infections among young people and other vulnerable groups.
Kandasi Levermore, Executive Director of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), expressed excitement about this significant milestone in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Jamaica. She emphasized the transition from a high number of children living with HIV to none being born with the virus as a cause for celebration.
“For us to witness the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in our lifetime brings sheer joy,” Levermore remarked.
She commended the Ministry of Health and Wellness, particularly the HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection Unit, for their unwavering dedication to reaching this milestone.
The high-level certification ceremony on Tuesday not only acknowledges the extraordinary efforts of these countries but also underscores the ongoing commitment to the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission Plus (EMTCT Plus) initiative within the broader elimination agenda framework, as stated by PAHO.
In September 2010, PAHO member states unanimously approved the Strategy and Plan of Action for EMTCT of HIV and Congenital Syphilis in the region. Since then, Caribbean countries and territories have been implementing interventions to strengthen primary prevention and treatment services for HIV and syphilis within maternal and child health services, with the ultimate goal of achieving EMTCT certification and ensuring a generation free of HIV and syphilis.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 90 percent of HIV-exposed infants were reported to have received antiretrovirals to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, with the transmission rate dropping to less than 10 percent in 2020 from a baseline of 25 percent.
