Port-of-Spain, 7 September 2026 (PAHO): – Every mother hopes to give her child the healthiest possible start in life. Achieving that goal depends on more than medical care during delivery. It requires quality healthcare throughout pregnancy, reliable laboratory services, strong data systems and timely access to testing and treatment. In September 2026, the Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago, with support from PAHO/WHO, completed a comprehensive national assessment of these critical services, marking an important milestone in the country's journey towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
The assessment, conducted across multiple public and private health facilities, provided a critical opportunity to assess the systems, services and policies that protect mothers and newborns from preventable infections. More importantly, it established a clear roadmap for advancing Trinidad and Tobago's EMTCT certification process and strengthening services that benefit families across the country.
The assessment mission also addressed a longstanding gap by examining how data, laboratory systems, clinical services and community engagement efforts work together to support disease elimination and achieve global targets.
Over four days, multidisciplinary teams comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Authorities, laboratory services, maternal and child health programmes, civil society organizations and PAHO/WHO visited antenatal clinics, maternity units, laboratories and private healthcare facilities throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
The review followed the process through the healthcare system, examining every step from antenatal care and screening to treatment, delivery services and follow-up care for infants exposed to HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B. Teams also assessed laboratory quality assurance systems, surveillance mechanisms, referral pathways, data collection processes and community engagement frameworks.
Site visits included major health institutions such as Port of Spain General Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope Women's Hospital, the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory and selected private sector facilities. Virtual consultations were also held with healthcare teams in Tobago, ensuring a national perspective on service delivery.
The assessment reviewed four key areas required for WHO certification: programme and service delivery, laboratory services, surveillance and data systems, and human rights, gender equality and community engagement. This comprehensive approach allowed stakeholders to identify strengths that can be built upon, while also pinpointing opportunities to improve coordination, data quality, monitoring systems and service integration.
At the conclusion of the mission, PAHO provided national authorities with detailed feedback on Trinidad and Tobago's readiness to move forward in the EMTCT certification process, including recommendations to address identified gaps and strengthen alignment with WHO global standards.
A key outcome of the assessment was the development of a national action plan outlining the critical next steps required to advance certification for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, while simultaneously strengthening pathways toward the elimination of syphilis and hepatitis B.
The EMTCT initiative builds on the launch of the PAHO Elimination Initiative (EI) in Trinidad and Tobago in July 2026 by Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe. A key part of the launch was the prioritization of actions to accelerate the elimination of key communicable diseases affecting the country by national health stakeholders. This EMTCT assessment to advance the elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B in pregnant women, their children and partners was one of the activities prioritized in the Elimination Initiative and this mission preserves that momentum in the National health agenda.
As the country advances along the EMTCT certification pathway, it moves one step closer to a future where no child is born with HIV, congenital syphilis or hepatitis B, transforming what was once an aspiration into an achievable reality.
