DR Christopher Tufton, acknowledging Jamaica’s accomplishment in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), on Tuesday emphasised the need for continued efforts to enhance the battle against HIV in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

“I would like to take the opportunity to call upon other countries in the region to scale up efforts to combat the threat of HIV/AIDS, especially through mother-to-child transmission, and for us who have been able to achieve this milestone, we stand ready as a team, as partners to work with you and to provide whatever support we can, of course, with our other bilateral and multilateral partners,” said Tufton, Jamaica’s minister of health and wellness.

Speaking at the certification ceremony for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and syphilis on Tuesday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Tufton acknowledged the certification as an important victory in the fight against HIV as a public health challenge.

“This ceremony is evidence that progress is being made to end the ravaging impact of this viral disease. Jamaica’s success on elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis signals an enduring commitment to the sustainable development goals of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all people of all ages,“ Tufton said.

However, he urged Jamaica and the region to not get complacent in the fight against HIV, noting that HIV prevention must remain the priority for health-care providers.

“There is need for increasing linkage and retention to care, testing, counselling, retention in care, adherence to HIV treatment, and viral suppression. Early uptake of and regular safe maternity services remain critical, including antenatal care, delivery care, newborn care, postnatal care, and post-partum family planning. This is an area for much keener attention in our population and one that we here in Jamaica are placing great priority on,” Tufton explained.

He announced that Jamaica’s health care has been improving its provisions to mothers diagnosed with HIV and syphilis by improving accessibility to antenatal care, increasing HIV testing among mothers and improving access to diagnosis and appropriate treatment to syphilis-positive mothers.

“Of significant note is the financial investment of some Jamaican $27 million for HIV and syphilis screening of all pregnant women. This elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis is a win that underscores protecting the health of all, it is also exemplary of the extraordinary progress being made in our maternal health care,” he said.

UNICEF Jamaica representative, Dr Loga Isabel Isaza De Francisco, while complimentary of the region’s efforts, expressed concerns about the number of children left behind in the fight against AIDS. She said in 2022 only 39 per cent of those from birth to 14 years old who are living with HIV received antiretroviral medication and approximately 70 per cent for children 15 years and older.

“Within the Latin American and the Caribbean region, antiretroviral treatment for children and young adolescents falls below the global average of 57 per cent, according to data from the UNAIDS. We need to work harder to increase the coverage for diagnosis and treatment for all, and especially for children… There is an urgent need to improve health systems and create a solid and resilient foundation on which eliminating mother-to-child transmission and indeed all public health programmes can be implemented and achieve sustainable results,” she declared.

On the other hand, chief of the HIV/AIDS Unit at the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr Monica Alonso, said despite improving efforts in the region to fight against HIV/AIDS she is concerned about the rise in the number of syphilis cases in many countries and is urging for an increase in response measures.

Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS Christine Stegling, at the same time, reminded Jamaicans of the organisation’s goal to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat globally by 2030.

She commended government officials of all three countries for their dedication to the cause, highlighting the sacrifices made by each country.

“What has happened in this region is a model for the world, and I want to emphasise this because it only happens with political will and determination that we get to a point like where we are today. It represents years of efforts by health-care providers and communities of people living with HIV working together to ensure health systems have strong maternal and child health programmes,” she said.

Belize and St Vincent and the Grenadines were the other two countries who received validation at the ceremony on Wednesday.

In 2010, countries of the Americas committed to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis and endorsed the regional strategy, which was updated in 2016 under the PAHO Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Globally, 19 countries and territories have been recognised for eradicating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis, with 11 of them in the Americas. In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to achieve the dual elimination of HIV and syphilis. Subsequently, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and St Kitts and Nevis followed suit in 2017, with Dominica joining the list in 2020.