World Health Organization has announced that Cuba is the first country in the world to officially stamp out transmission of HIV and syphilis from a mother to her child.
Margaret Chan, WHO’s director general, in a statement said “Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible.
“This is a major victory in our long fight against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and an important step towards having an AIDS-free generation.
WHO came to this conclusion after a panel of international health experts visited Cuba in March and concluded that the country met the standards required for validation.
According to WHO, around the world, about 1.4 million women with HIV become pregnant every year. If left untreated, there’s a 15-45% chance that they transmit the virus to their child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
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