A total of 15.5 million people are forced to practice open defecation in Latin America and the Caribbean, a practice that can pollute the environment and spread disease, warned the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today on World Toilet Day.

Life expectancy for men in the Region of the Americas is 5.8 years below that of women, partly because societal expectations contribute to risk-seeking behaviors, says a new report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The report was launched on the eve of International Men’s Day (19 November).

Dengue in the Americas has reached the highest number of cases ever recorded, with more than 2.7 million cases and 1,206 deaths so far this year, according to a new epidemiological update from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The prevalence of adult obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean has tripled since 1975, affecting one in four adults in a region where hunger has grown once again, reaching 42.5 million people, according to a new United Nations report issued today, the Panorama of Food and Nutritional Security 2019.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP)...

At-risk populations throughout Guyana will be treated for lymphatic filariasis (LF) over the next month in a bid to eliminate the disease as a public health problem.

A new plan to reduce cardiovascular disease by eliminating trans-fatty acids from industrial food production by the year 2025 was agreed today by the countries of the Americas. Cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death in the hemisphere.

Hypertension is a problem that contributes to heart disease. However, it is estimated that 40 percent of people with hypertension in the region do not know their condition. Of those who know they have hypertension and receive treatment, around 20 percent have their blood pressure controlled.

In 1975, before widespread immunization against polio, almost 6,000 children were paralyzed in the Americas due to the disease. In 1991, the last 6 cases of polio were reported, and in 1994, the Region was the first in the world to be certified polio-free.

Ultra-processed food, sugary beverages and fast food with poor nutritional quality are replacing more nourishing domestic foods in diets of families in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a report published by the Pan American Health Organization, “Ultra-processed food and drink products in Latin America: Sales, sources, nutrient profiles, and policy implications.”

Ministries of health from the Caribbean met in Jamaica this week with experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to support country efforts to develop and fund climate change-resilient health systems.

The Region of the Americas must scale-up and accelerate actions to ensure sustainable and equitable access to health care, urged the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, during the opening session of the Organization’s 57th Directing Council.

WHO has mobilized USD 1 million from the Contingency Fund for the hurricane response The world must rally around the Bahamas in the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Dorian which has not only cost many lives and livelihoods but caused severe damage to essential infrastructure, depriving communities of vital services at a critical time, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), upon completion of a visit to the Bahamas...

Health ministers and other high-level delegates from the Americas will open a week-long meeting here on Sept. 30 to discuss health priorities and plans of action at the Pan American Health Organization’s 57th Directing Council .

PAHO has published an Epidemiological Update on Measles in the Americas. It describes the current situation in the Region and includes advice to national authorities to vaccinate 95% of their populations with two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in all municipalities. PAHO also advises countries to vaccinate at-risk populations without proof of vaccination or immunity against measles and rubella, including migrant populations in high-traffic border areas...

Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are closer than ever to achieving the elimination of human deaths by rabies. Over the last 12 months, just five cases were reported in the Region, announced the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on the eve of World Rabies Day – 28 September.

According to PAHO, which has established the goal of eliminating human deaths from rabies by 2022, today, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are the only countries on the continent where people have died from rabies...

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warns of the complex situation of dengue in Latin America and the Caribbean, a Region that is currently experiencing a new epidemic cycle of the disease after two years of low incidence.

As this year’s hurricane season gets underway, psychosocial support will be utilised to help the Caribbean people when disaster hits. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) launched the “Stronger Together” campaign in Bridgetown, Barbados. The campaign draws attention to the information and tools available to assist communities in better coping with the psychological impact of adverse events...

In view of the current heatwaves in Europe and predictions that this phenomenon will hit various parts of the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is urging countries in the Region to be prepared, due to the impact that this could have on peoples’ health, including the risk of death.

Five (5) persons seriously injured in a road traffic accident in Rock Sound, Eleuthera this morning were airlifted to medical facilities in New Providence and South Florida. 

Ministers of Health of the Pacific and the Caribbean met to discuss opportunities for cooperation and exchange regarding good practices in climate change and resilient health systems, regulatory frameworks, health security and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The meeting took place in parallel to the 72 World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.