The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) has congratulated CARICOM Member State, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, on being certified by Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) for achieving the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (EMTCT).
The certification was conferred during the Certification Ceremony for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV held on Wednesday, 22 April.
Addressing the ceremony, Director of PANCAP Coordinating Unit, Dr. Wendy Telgt Emanuelson, described the certification as a reflection of “strong leadership, committed healthcare workers, dedicated partners, and families who trusted the healthcare system.”
“It shows that with wisdom, coordination, and sustained effort, extraordinary progress is possible,” Dr. Telgt Emanuelson stated, adding that this development in The Bahamas strengthens the Caribbean’s “proud legacy of leadership in the elimination agenda.”
She noted that the Region continues to demonstrate that small states can deliver world-class public health success through partnership and determination, giving hope to the wider Caribbean.
Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a globally recognized public health milestone and is a critical component of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, specifically Target 3.3, which aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. EMTCT ensures that HIV-positive mothers receive timely testing, treatment, and care so that children are born free of HIV.
With this certification, The Bahamas becomes the eleventh CARICOM country to achieve EMTCT of HIV, joining Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It also joins two PAHO members countries in the Americas; Cuba, the first country in the world to be certified, and Brazil.
Describing the certification as “a national achievement that speaks to both the strength of our health system and to the lives it protects,” Minister of Health & Wellness of The Bahamas, Honourable Dr. Michael R. Darville, M.P. said it was the result of “a deliberate and disciplined public health strategy.”
He commended the coordination in The Bahamas’ healthcare system, stating,
“From antenatal clinics to delivery wards, from community health centres to national laboratories, this outcome reflects the consistency, discipline, and professionalism of our healthcare workforce and by extension the entire system.”
According to PAHO/WHO, The Bahamas achieved this milestone by pioneering a comprehensive and inclusive healthcare model that included the provision of universal antenatal care to all pregnant women, a strong, integrated laboratory network and a rigorous testing protocol that screens women at their first antenatal appointment and again in the third trimester. Implemented under a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programme, the interventions include coordination with the National Infectious Disease Programme, which oversees the prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI).
The PANCAP Director also offered special recognition to the Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Bahamas Ministry of Health, Dr. Nikkiah Forbes, Chair of the PANCAP Advisory Coordinating Committee, one of the key governance arms of PANCAP, for her leadership nationally and regionally.
She also recognised the Advisor at the PAHO/WHO Caribbean Office, Ms. Sandra Jones, for her dedicated technical support to countries across the Region, noting that her contribution “has been invaluable.”
Dr. Telgt Emanuelson further acknowledged PAHO/WHO’s continued leadership and partnership in supporting countries to achieve and sustain these important milestones.
“While we celebrate today, we know the work must continue. Sustained investment in maternal and child health services, testing, treatment, and prevention remains essential to protect these gains and ensure no mother or child is left behind,” Dr Telgt Emanuelson stated.
She added that PANCAP remains committed to working with The Bahamas and all Member States to pursue the shared goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
