Brasília, 4 June 2025 — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) received Brazil’s official report on Tuesday (June 3) in Rio de Janeiro, requesting international certification of the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, that is, the transmission of the virus from mother to child. The report was formally submitted by Brazil’s Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, during the opening ceremony of the 15th Congress of the Brazilian Society of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (SBDST), the 11th Brazilian AIDS Congress, and the 6th Latin American Congress on STIs/HIV/AIDS.
The report highlights Brazil’s significant progress over the past two years, with a notable reduction in vertical transmission rates and new HIV infections in children. In 2023, Brazil recorded a mother-to-child transmission rate below 2%, and the incidence of HIV in children was under 0.5 per 1,000 live births.
"I never imagined we would get to a moment like this, with Brazil submitting documentation to certify the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This achievement is the result of tireless work by health professionals, states, and local governments, and the rebuilding of our Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), which is now being strongly led by President Lula and Minister Nísia Trindade”, said Minister Padilha.
In his speech, Padilha also reflected on historic moments in Brazil’s response to HIV:
“I remember, at the end of 2013 on World AIDS Day, we announced that Brazil would be the first country to make PrEP [Pre-exposure Prophylaxis] a public health policy. We were the first country to formally integrate PrEP into its health system,” he noted.
The certification of the elimination of vertical transmission is granted by the World Health Organization (WHO), with technical support from PAHO, to countries that can showcase, through robust scientific evidence and reliable epidemiological data, that HIV transmission from mother to child has been successfully interrupted during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
“The submission of this report requesting Brazil’s certification for the elimination of vertical HIV transmission as a public health problem reaffirms the country’s leadership in the HIV/AIDS response and serves as a reference for other countries in the Region,” said Cristian Morales, PAHO/WHO Representative in Brazil.
The report will first be reviewed by a regional validation committee and then submitted for final evaluation by WHO.
“I want to highlight that Brazil has already achieved the impact needed to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. With this report, the country is taking an additional step, transforming this impact into globally recognized evidence”, said Monica Alonso, Chief of PAHO’s Unit of HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Certification of the Elimination of Vertical Transmission
This certification is part of a global initiative led by WHO and PAHO, which establishes strict criteria for validating the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV and/or syphilis. The process goes beyond epidemiological indicators and includes sustainability of interventions, quality of care, and protection of human rights. In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to receive this certification.
In Brazil, the PAHO/WHO international certification process has been adapted to the subnational level, allowing for the validation of elimination efforts in states and cities with populations over 100,000. The national framework includes not only HIV, but also syphilis, hepatitis B, Chagas disease, and in the future, HTLV. The strategy has fostered local mobilization, improved surveillance systems, strengthened maternal and child health services, and expanded prevention efforts to stop vertical transmission.
To date, 151 cities and 7 states in Brazil have received some form of certification or recognition. In total, 228 municipal certifications are currently valid, including 139 related to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Ten certifications have also been granted at the state level across seven states: São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Goiás, the Federal District (Brasília), Sergipe, and Minas Gerais.
In 2025, around 70 cities and 10 states are expected to receive new certifications. These local efforts have played a key role in advancing Brazil’s national and international targets for the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV and other preventable infections.
Eliminating Socially Determined Diseases in the Americas
Socially determined diseases such as HIV and syphilis are deeply influenced by factors like poverty, hunger, and inequality, and in turn, they help perpetuate these same challenges.
PAHO continues to work with countries to accelerate efforts to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions among vulnerable populations in the Americas. Through its Disease Elimination Initiative, PAHO aims to ensure that future generations live free from the burden of these preventable diseases by 2030.
