Five countries and territories recognized for disease elimination achievements in the Americas

Washington, D.C., 29 September 2026 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today recognized five countries and territories of the Americas for major disease elimination achievements over the past year, marking new progress toward the regional goal of eliminating more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030.

During a special ceremony at the 63rd Directing Council of PAHO, health authorities celebrated achievements by Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Between September 2025 and September 2026, the five received certification, validation or verification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for having eliminated at least one communicable disease or related condition.

"Today we celebrate an achievement that reflects the best of our Region: the ability to transform political commitment, evidence and cooperation into concrete results for people's health," said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

The achievements recognized include:

• Brazil was validated in December 2025 for having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, becoming the world's most populous country to achieve this milestone.
• Chile was verified in March 2026 as having eliminated leprosy as a public health problem -the first country in the Americas to reach this milestone-and in September became the first South American country to be validated for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem.
• El Salvador was validated in July 2026 for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, becoming the first country in Central America to do so.
• The Bahamas was certified in April 2026 for having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
• Turks and Caicos Islands was certified in June 2026 for having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B, becoming the first territory in the Americas to achieve the latter milestone.

The achievements add to a long history of leadership by the Americas in disease elimination. Around 60% of countries and territories worldwide recognized for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV are in the Americas.

"The Americas continue to lead elimination efforts globally, demonstrating that when countries set ambitious goals and make them a public health priority, extraordinary results are possible," Barbosa said.

The recognitions also reflect progress under PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative, approved by Member States in 2019 and relaunched in 2023 to recover essential coverage and interventions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate progress toward new elimination targets. The Initiative seeks to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americas by 2030 through an integrated approach.

Elimination efforts can also strengthen health systems beyond the individual diseases being targeted. By expanding access to integrated interventions, countries can reinforce surveillance, laboratory capacity, primary health care, and the ability of health services to respond to current and future challenges.

"Disease elimination is not only about reducing the burden of individual diseases; it is also a pathway to building stronger and more resilient health systems," Barbosa said.

Reporting on progress

A new progress report on the Initiative, presented to this year's Directing Council, documents broader advances across the Region between 2023 and 2025. These include the certification of Belize and Suriname as malaria-free; certification of Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis; validation of Brazil for eliminating lymphatic filariasis; and verification of five provinces in Argentina as free of vector-borne transmission of Chagas disease.

The Region also remained free of wild poliovirus and sustained the elimination of rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, and neonatal tetanus.

The report also highlights an important lesson: achieving elimination requires countries to maintain the capacities that make it possible. Recent measles outbreaks and reversals in elimination status in the Region demonstrate how gains can be lost when vaccination coverage declines or surveillance and outbreak response are insufficient. At the same time, significant burdens from diseases targeted for elimination-including tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, syphilis and cervical cancer-persist in parts of the Region.

Looking ahead, PAHO is calling for countries to accelerate implementation of national elimination roadmaps backed by predictable domestic financing; further integrate disease interventions into primary health care; expand equitable access to diagnostics, medicines and other health technologies; strengthen interoperable surveillance and information systems; and increase community engagement and multisectoral action.

By September 2026, five Member States had launched multidisease elimination plans, seven had plans under development, and 17 were implementing accelerated disease elimination strategies.

PAHO continues to work with Member States and partners to accelerate progress toward elimination targets while helping countries protect and sustain the gains already achieved.