13 vehicles and 54 motorcycles strengthen Honduras’ capacity to detect and respond to health threats The addition of 13 vehicles and 54 motorcycles will expedite the transport of biological samples and expand health surveillance in hard-to-reach areas. The acquisition was made possible through a Pandemic Fund grant awarded to Honduras.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, September 24, 2026. Detecting a health threat early can make the difference between containing an outbreak and confronting a larger-scale emergency. With this objective, Honduras has added 13 four-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles and 54 all-terrain motorcycles to strengthen disease surveillance and the safe transport of biological samples.
Honduras secured a grant from the Pandemic Fund to strengthen its capacities for preventing, detecting, and responding to health threats. The vehicles and motorcycles were acquired using resources from that grant. UNICEF procured the equipment as an implementing entity, in coordination with national institutions and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), which is also involved in implementing the project.
The new fleet will support the work of the Ministry of Health (SESAL), the National Service for Agricultural and Livestock Health (SENASA), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA), and the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF). These institutions work together to monitor human, animal, and environmental health under the One Health approach.
“For UNICEF, the delivery of these vehicles and motorcycles represents a tangible investment in Honduras’ capacity to detect and respond promptly to health threats that disproportionately affect children and the population as a whole,” said César Villar, Acting Representative of UNICEF in Honduras.
The acquisition represents an investment of approximately US$770,000. The vehicles will expand operational coverage in remote and difficult-to-access areas. The motorcycles will support surveillance activities and the transport of samples to the National Laboratory Network.
“These vehicles will enable the timely and safe transportation of biological samples, a critical link that determines how quickly the health system can act in the face of a threat,” said Dr. Eduardo Midence, Vice Minister of Integrated Health Service Networks at the Ministry of Health.
During the first year of the project financed through the Pandemic Fund grant awarded to Honduras, 102 surveillance sites have been strengthened, the diagnostic capacity of 46 laboratories has been expanded, and more than 550 professionals have been trained in pandemic preparedness and epidemiological surveillance. These achievements have been made possible through the participation of national institutions and the technical cooperation of PAHO/WHO and UNICEF.
With enhanced capacity to monitor its territory and transport samples safely, Honduras will be better equipped to identify risks early, respond more rapidly, and protect the health of its communities from future public health emergencies.
