Brazil has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, becoming the most populous country in the world to reach this milestone and ensuring babies are born free of the virus.
“Brazil has shown that with sustained commitment and equitable access to health services, every child can be born free of HIV,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
The achievement follows decades of universal, free healthcare, with over 95% prenatal care coverage and routine HIV testing and treatment for pregnant women, reducing transmission to below 2%. The milestone places Brazil among 19 countries worldwide validated for elimination and builds on regional progress that has already prevented more than 500,000 paediatric HIV cases across the Americas in the past decade.
