The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified The Bahamas for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, making it the latest Caribbean nation to reach this milestone, according to a press release issued by WHO on April 22, 2026. The announcement was made jointly from Geneva, Washington D.C., and Nassau. The Bahamas now joins a group of 12 countries and territories in the Region of the Americas that have achieved this status.
The Bahamas built its success on a comprehensive health-care model that provides universal antenatal care to all pregnant women, regardless of nationality or legal status, across both public and private facilities. Elimination of mother-to-child transmission interventions are fully integrated into the country’s Maternal and Child Health programme, which coordinates with the National Infectious Disease Programme. The health system includes multi-month dispensing of antiretroviral medicines, STI treatment, and family planning services offered free of charge. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention is also offered to pregnant women.
To receive WHO certification, countries must reduce the mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV to less than 2%, achieve fewer than 5 new pediatric HIV infections per 1,000 live births, and maintain 95% or higher coverage for antenatal care, HIV testing, and treatment for pregnant women. The Bahamas’ health system screens women at their first antenatal appointment and again in the third trimester. The country will continue efforts to sustain these standards through integrated primary care and continuous surveillance.
Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness of The Bahamas, acknowledged the collective effort behind the achievement. “For years, The Bahamas have been working very hard to address the situation of HIV/AIDS,” he said. “A lot of people have been involved in us achieving this great milestone – our nurses in our public health system, our nurses and doctors in our tertiary health-care system and, by extension, all of the clinics spread throughout our archipelago.” UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima added that the achievement “reflects political will for steady investment in primary health care and the work of health teams and people living with and most affected by HIV.”
The Bahamas’ certification is part of the broader EMTCT Plus Initiative, which targets the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and congenital Chagas disease. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with UNICEF and UNAIDS and is embedded within PAHO’s Elimination Initiative, a regional effort to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americas by 2030. Today, more than half of all countries and territories that have achieved elimination are from the Region of the Americas.
