In 2006, through Ministerial Resolution S.G. No. 433, it was made mandatory to offer HIV and syphilis testing to all pregnant women attending public health services. Additionally, in 2007, through another resolution, the Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention Program for HIV and Congenital Syphilis was declared a priority. Improving over times rules, laws, and guidelines.
This commitment was further strengthened in 2018 with the creation of the National Technical Committee for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and Chagas (ETMI Plus), as part of the ETMI Plus Strategy.
At present, the health ministry recently approved the Guidelines for the Management of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Congenital Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and Chagas – ETMI Plus, aiming to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases and improve public health at a national level.
With the implementation of the resolution S.G. No. 114/2025, health facilities within the National Health System must adopt and apply the protocols established in the technical document, ensuring that women of reproductive age and pregnant women receive timely diagnostic and treatment services.
The Ministry of Public Health reports that the guidelines contain comprehensive strategies for prevention, treatment, and care. They serve as an essential tool to guide the actions of healthcare facilities nationwide, ensuring the health of pregnant women and newborns.
Elena Candia, director of the National Program for the Control and Prevention of HIV/AIDS/STIs (Pronasida), stated that the ETMI Plus Management Guidelines will serve as a tool to direct the actions of healthcare facilities across the country to protect the health of pregnant women and newborns.
Paraguay has maintained a strong commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases for over a decade. Currently, the health ministry reinforces its commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, congenital syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas through the ETMI Plus initiative, following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the commitments made at the regional level by member countries of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Pronasida and Senepa (National Malaria Eradication Service) will work on the dissemination and training of healthcare employees to ensure effective implementation, promoting education and awareness about the importance of prevention and appropriate treatment.
The guidelines were developed by the Comprehensive Care Department of Pronasida and received input from various Ministry of Health departments, including Senepa, the General Directorate of Health Surveillance, the Directorate of Communicable Disease Surveillance, the Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Directorate of Primary Health Care, and scientific societies, such as the Paraguayan Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Paraguayan Society of Pediatrics, the Paraguayan Society of Infectious Diseases, and the Society of Family Medicine. It also had the collaboration of national and international experts from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
It follows the news one week ago that Paraguay guarantees free access to medicines to prevent HIV.
