Bangkok: Thailand has become the first Asian country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV the World Health Organization said yesterday, a milestone in the fight against the disease.

Describing the elimination as a “remarkable achievement,” the WHO said Thailand was “the first (country) with a large HIV epidemic to ensure an AIDS-free generation.” Belarus and Armenia were also declared free of mother-to-baby HIV transmissions yesterday but both nations have a much lower prevalence of the virus.