For International Childhood Cancer Day, PAHO highlights the story of Camila, who overcame her fear of leukemia and chemotherapy thanks to Emely’s Suitcase, a resource created by the Organization together with the Ayúdame a Vivir Foundation that has supported more than 500 children in El Salvador, reducing treatment abandonment and reinforcing hope…
Regional Stories
As soon as the vaccination brigade arrived in the remote community, some mothers hurried and closed their doors. From inside, voices could be heard—expressing fear: “I don’t want my child to get sick from that vaccine,” or “those vaccines don’t work.”— February 2026 —For licensed nurse Mariela López Román, who has spent a decade working…
PAHO is collaborating with the University of New Mexico and supporting public health officials in Puerto Rico to strengthen surveillance and move closer to verifying the elimination of the parasitic infection transmitted by freshwater snails from the island.January 2026
In Guyana, where fewer than 30 new leprosy cases are reported each year, consistent surveillance is telling a hopeful story: Even with low numbers of reported cases, the work is far from over.— January 2026 —Guyana has long shifted away from the days when people affected by leprosy were isolated in leprosariums. Today, Guyana is…
Across the Caribbean, the Fleming Fund’s support is transforming how laboratories detect, diagnose, and respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). From improved patient care to stronger national surveillance, frontline staff are already seeing measurable changes in their daily work. Staff from two laboratories - St. Vincent and the Grenadines and…
Disinfecting robots, solar-powered refrigerators, and digital health records present a cohesive story of innovation with purpose, where technology meets the needs of health workers and patients.—December 2025—
In the small room of the HIV treatment unit, known as Specialized Care Units in Brazil’s public health system, Isabella (28) runs her hand over her pregnant belly of 38 weeks. She smiles as she talks with the professionals who have accompanied her and become an essential support network since the start of her pregnancy.— December 2025 —…
With support from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and PAHO, Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Paraguay strengthened surveillance, clinical care, and community participation, helping to contain the epidemic.— December 2025 —A year ago, Bolivia faced…
Shawn Addison, age 46, who lives in Barbados, noticed his mental health problems initially in his teenage years. He struggled with staying focused, withdrew after socialising, and did not feel like he was in full control of how his brain worked.— December 2025 —“In my early 30s, things started to really get to a point where I wasn't…