WHO certifies extraordinary achievement of Belarus in preventive health care

08-06-2016

On June 7, 2016 at the UN headquarters in New York Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the UN, Andrei Dapkiunas, received the certificate of the World Health Organisation (WHO), that validates the complete elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis as public health problem in Belarus. Hence, Belarus is the first and so far the only country in Europe that received relevant certificate.

Background information: Nowadays there are only three countries in the world (Belarus, Cuba and Thailand) that are officially certified by the WHO as having completely eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

The global criteria and procedure for identification of the total elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis were established by the WHO in 2014. The current ceremony dedicated to the national achievements in this sphere was held for the second time.

In his speech at the ceremony of receiving the official WHO validation certificate to Belarus, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN, Andrei Dapkiunas, highlighted the truly historic nature of this achievement of Belarus in the sphere of health care. The Belarusian diplomat expressed gratitude to a number of international partners – WHO, UNAIDS, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNICEF and UNFPA – for their support of national efforts of the country that led to a deserved international recognition.

The head of the Belarusian mission to the UN noted that the success of Belarus was possible thanks to a consistent long-term work of Belarusian doctors and due to the high priority that the Belarusian state accords to the improvement and comprehensive development of the national health system.

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