Brazil Eliminates Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

With more than 95% prenatal coverage and mother-to-child HIV transmission cut to below 2%, Brazil becomes the largest country in the Americas to achieve elimination

Dec 19, 2025 – Brazil has been validated by the World Health Organization as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, a milestone that makes it the most populous country in the Americas to achieve the goal and places it among a small group of nations worldwide that have reached one of global public health’s most elusive targets.

The achievement reflects decades of investment in Brazil’s public health system, known as the Unified Health System, or SUS, which guarantees universal and free access to care. Health officials and global agencies pointed to the country’s strong primary health care network, near-universal prenatal coverage, and emphasis on human rights as decisive factors in driving down infections among newborns.

“Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a major public health achievement for any country, especially for a country as large and complex as Brazil,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization. “Brazil has shown that with sustained political commitment and equitable access to quality health services, every country can ensure that every child is born free of HIV and every mother receives the care she deserves.”

The announcement was made in Brasília during a ceremony attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s health minister, Alexandre Padilha, and Dr Jarbas Barbosa, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, along with representatives from UNAIDS.

To earn validation, Brazil was required to meet stringent benchmarks set by WHO, including reducing the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child to below 2 percent. The country also achieved more than 95 percent coverage in prenatal care, routine HIV testing, and timely treatment for pregnant women living with HIV, according to the agency.

Beyond numerical targets, evaluators assessed whether Brazil was delivering high-quality care to mothers and infants, maintaining robust laboratory and surveillance systems, and protecting the rights of women and vulnerable communities. WHO said Brazil demonstrated sustained commitment in all of those areas.

Rather than pursuing validation all at once, Brazil adopted a phased, subnational strategy, first certifying individual states and municipalities with populations exceeding 100,000. The approach adapted global standards to Brazil’s national context while maintaining consistency across the country.

Independent experts, supported by the Pan American Health Organization, reviewed national data, policy documents, and health facility operations. Their findings were then examined by WHO’s Global Validation Advisory Committee, which formally recommended Brazil’s certification.

“This achievement shows that eliminating vertical transmission of HIV is possible when pregnant women know their HIV status, receive timely treatment, and have access to maternal health services and safe delivery,” said Dr Jarbas Barbosa, the director of PAHO. “It is also the result of the tireless dedication of thousands of health professionals, community health workers, and civil society organizations. Every day, they sustain the continuity of care, identify obstacles, and work to overcome them, ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations can access essential health services.”

Brazil’s success comes amid broader regional progress. Between 2015 and 2024, more than 50,000 pediatric HIV infections were averted across the Americas through initiatives aimed at eliminating mother-to-child transmission, according to WHO.

The country’s achievement is part of the EMTCT Plus Initiative, which seeks to eliminate the transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and congenital Chagas disease. The effort is carried out in collaboration with UNICEF and UNAIDS and is embedded within the Pan American Health Organization’s Elimination Initiative, which targets more than 30 communicable diseases in the region by 2030.

“I am delighted that Brazil has just been certified by WHO/PAHO for eliminating vertical transmission – the first country of more than 100 million people to do so,” said Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS. “And they did it by doing what we know works –prioritizing universal health care, tackling the social determinants that drive the epidemic, protecting human rights, and even – when necessary – breaking monopolies to secure access to medicines.”

Globally, Brazil is one of 19 countries and territories validated by WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Twelve of those are in the Americas. Cuba became the first country in the world to receive validation in 2015, followed by several Caribbean nations, including Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2024.

Outside the Americas, countries that have achieved validation include Armenia, Belarus, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

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