CARICOM, PAHO focus on maternal HIV elimination
June 16 2026
Efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B across the Caribbean were the focus of discussions between the CARICOM Secretariat and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Regional Validation Committee during a meeting held at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown on June 11.
The engagement brought together regional health officials to examine strategies aimed at helping CARICOM member states strengthen prevention, treatment, monitoring and surveillance systems needed to achieve and maintain international validation standards.
The CARICOM delegation was led by Beverly Harry-Emmanuel, Advisor, Social Development and Officer-in-Charge of the Human and Social Development Directorate. Also participating were Dr. Wendy Telgt Emanuelson, Director of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit; Tamara Bobb, Programme Manager for Health Sector Development; and Dr. Shanti Singh-Anthony, Knowledge Coordinator at PANCAP.
Representing PAHO and the World Health Organization were Sandra Jones, Advisor for HIV/STI, Tuberculosis and Viral Hepatitis; Dr. Leandro Sereno Soares, Advisor for Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control; Jodie Dionne, Chair of the Regional Validation Committee; and Dr. Shabbir Argaw, a committee member.
Discussions focused on scaling up primary prevention and treatment services for HIV and Hepatitis B, improving the detection and monitoring of HIV-positive pregnant women and exposed infants, and enhancing laboratory and surveillance systems across the region.
Participants agreed that the validation process not only advances the goal of eliminating mother-to-child transmission but also contributes to improved efficiency and quality within national health systems.
Several Caribbean countries and territories have already achieved validation for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. These include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Bahamas has achieved validation for HIV only, while the Turks and Caicos Islands became the first territory in the Americas to secure dual validation for both HIV and Hepatitis B, a milestone regional officials say demonstrates the Caribbean’s leadership in public health.
(SOURCE: CARICOM)
