* Since the last assessment in 2024, updated information became available that required a change in the baseline.
EOB 2024-2025
IMPACT INDICATOR
Rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Baseline
2017
15.27% of births to women living with HIV
Target
2025
2.0% of births to women living with HIV
Status
2024
16.25% of births to women living with HIV
Rating
Stagnating
% annual change required to achieve target
-25.41%
% annual change recorded as of last year available
0.89%
This indicator measures the percentage of infants born to mothers living with HIV who acquire the virus during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding. It is an important measure for tracking progress in the effectiveness of programs for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT), supported through PAHO’s Disease Elimination Initiative.
Mother-to-child transmission rates in the Region have been declining since 2000, when the rate was 31.5% among infants born to women living with HIV; however, the downward trend has plateaued since 2012. In 2024, the estimated transmission rate was 16.3%, projected to decline to 15.8% by 2025. Although this value may be overestimated, as it may not yet reflect the most recent data from some countries that eliminated transmission, the regional transmission rate is well above the 2025 target of 2%. This indicator is therefore considered to be stagnating.
Nevertheless, significant progress was made during the 2020–2025 period, with 12 countries and territories — including Belize, Brazil, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — having validated or revalidated elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV during the 2024-2025 biennium. These countries provide important regional examples for sustaining and scaling successful strategies.
Vertical transmission of HIV is preventable through primary care strategies, including the prevention of HIV infection among women of reproductive age, high coverage of quality antenatal care that includes routine HIV screening, and effective follow-up of pregnant women living with HIV and exposed infants.
Recommendations
Eliminate barriers to HIV testing for all women attending antenatal care, ensuring expanded testing, timely linkage to treatment when needed, and action to address gaps in access to services.
Strengthen interoperable surveillance systems to support individual-level reporting of pregnant women living with HIV and HIV-exposed infants, thereby reducing underreporting and encouraging routine review of data at the local level to identify and address gaps in access to services.