Update 2014: Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis in the Americas

Abstract

[Introduction] Countries in the Americas committed to eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and syphilis by 2015 in resolution CD 50.R12. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) monitors country and regional progress towards elimination and the current report summarizes progress towards elimination goals between 2010 and 2013. Data on sexual and reproductive health, policies and provision of services, and outcomes regarding pediatric HIV and congenital syphilis cases in the Americas are provided in this report. The analysis presented may assist policymakers and health care workers in their efforts to achieve elimination of MTCT of HIV and syphilis in the Americas. Regarding sexual and reproductive health and primary prevention of HIV and syphilis, slight improvements have been made in increasing contraceptive use and decreasing unmet need for family planning in the Americas over the last decade, yet unmet need remains high in some populations such as young women. Condom use among people ages 15-49 reporting more than one sexual partner has increased among both men and women, and initiation of sexual activity before age 15 has decreased over time in some countries while remaining high in others. The fertility rate among adolescents in the Americas has declined slightly over time but the percentage of adolescents who are pregnant or have children has remained relatively unchanged despite significant commitments to prevent adolescent pregnancies in the Americas. Young people in the Americas have steadily improved their knowledge about HIV, but still less than half were able to correctly answer five basic questions about HIV and its transmission in recent surveys.