Regional Stories
For several years, Haiti has been engulfed in a socioeconomic, political and humanitarian crisis that, since mid-September 2022, reached critical levels. The situation further escalated in February this year due to armed violence and gang control of territory.— August 2024 —Widespread insecurity and political instability have drastically…
I n the context of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, observed on 9 August each year, this story highlights ongoing efforts to raise awareness and improve the health of Indigenous communities in the Americas. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples serves as a reminder of the urgent need to address those diseases…
Bridgetown, Barbados, July 22, 2024 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is supporting the health response in affected Caribbean countries following the devastating passage of Hurricane Beryl.Hurricane Beryl, the earliest ever recorded Category 5 hurricane in the North Atlantic, hit the eastern Caribbean on 1 July as a high-end…
Environmental surveillance of poliovirus is crucial for detecting its presence through the collection and analysis of wastewater samples. While the Americas region was certified poliovirus-free in 1994, cases are still reported in other parts of the world. This strategy, recommended by Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Technical Advisory…
Georgetown, Guyana 11 July 2024 – The next step in a mass drug administration (MDA) campaign to eliminate lymphatic filariasis began this week in Guyana, led by the country’s Ministry of Health and supported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).The campaign, launched on 5 July at the Carmel Secondary School in Georgetown, aims to treat…
May 2024Stephannie Lizama traveled from the village of San Lazaro to the Orange Walk health center in the north-east of Belize that morning, a journey that takes over three hours by foot. At 31 weeks pregnant with her second child, she had been experiencing some sickness and was keen to receive her prenatal checks.…
The vaccine hurt a little," 8 year-old, Angel Fabian said, smiling with relief after receiving a booster dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The boy, who lives in the neighborhood of San Juan in the Aguas Zarcas district, three hours from the capital, San José, was one the children reached by a vaccination campaign to prevent…
February 2024
In the remote community of Tekohá Y' Apo, in the Department of Canindeyú, some 280 kilometers from Paraguay's capital, stands the Avá Guaraní ethnic group health post, a small pink wooden house with a tin roof. For years, medical care in the area was limited, but recently, thanks to an initiative led by the Pan American…
