Regional Stories
October 2024A round 8,400 women die each year in the Americas due to preventable complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The main causes of maternal mortality in the region are hemorrhage (23.1%) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (22.1%). Insufficient contact between women and the healthcare system during pregnancy…
About 80% of the population in Colombia’s Putumayo Department lives in dispersed rural areas. Reaching them requires navigating rivers for five to six hours. “This makes it difficult for the population to travel to the health posts, and very difficult for the vaccines to reach all the communities and for the vaccination schedules to be complete,”…
In the context of World Rabies Day, the recent vaccination campaign for dogs and cats in Bolivia is an outstanding example of an effort to combat this disease. Countries in the Region of the Americas have reduced human cases by almost 98%, from 300 in 1983 to seven in 2023.— September 2024 —
T he 14 UTOPIAS in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, offer accessible public spaces, community kitchens, cultural centers, and sports activities to more than 1.8 million people. In the context of PAHO Wellness Week 2024, these initiatives are outstanding examples of local policies that promote and foster social cohesion, equity…
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…