Cuba first nation to eliminate mother-to-child HIV
Cuba on Tuesday became the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the World Health Organization said.
"Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
Universal health coverage, improved access to tests and increased attention to maternal care were credited with the success, defined by health authorities as fewer than 50 cases of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis or HIV per 100,000 live births.
WHO and the Pan American Health Organization define the milestone as "a reduction of transmission to such a low level that it no longer constitutes a public health problem."
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