Communicable diseases pose a substantial threat to health in the Americas
Despite the Region’s achievements in the complete or partial elimination of several communicable diseases in recent decades, they impose a burden on affected individuals, families, and communities, while also straining healthcare systems throughout the Region.
These diseases predominantly affect vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved populations, including, but not limited to, women and girls (particularly during pregnancy), children, indigenous communities, women of African descent, rural populations, LGBTQI+ persons, migrants, and people who are incarcerated or detained.
PAHO’s communicable diseases Elimination Initiative
The Pan American Health Organization’s initiative to eliminate communicable diseases, known as the Elimination Initiative (EI), aims to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions across the Americas by 2030. The EI spans a wide range of diseases including vaccine-preventable, neglected infectious, vector-borne, sexually transmitted, mother-to-child transmitted, and zoonotic diseases, as well as tuberculosis, cervical cancer, and environmental risk factors (open defecation and polluting fuels in the household).
The purpose of the EI is not just to eliminate and sustain the elimination targets, but to save and improve the quality of people’s lives through guaranteeing equitable access to integrated health services, addressing mechanisms of vulnerability and social and environmental determinants of health, and empowering communities.
A renewed effort to accelerate elimination
A history of disease elimination successes
Throughout its history spanning more than 120 years, PAHO and countries in the Americas have played a key role in realizing important disease elimination achievements.
These success stories document the experience and comparative advantage of the Region in disease elimination.
A history of disease elimination successes
Throughout its history spanning more than 120 years, PAHO and countries in the Americas have played a key role in realizing important disease elimination achievements.
These success stories document the experience and comparative advantage of the Region in disease elimination.
OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION IN THE AMERICAS
HEPATITIS
An estimated
5.0 million and 5.3 million
people living with hepatitis B and C, respectively
HIV
Over
3.8 million people
living with HIV with approximately 160 000 new infections
MALARIA
Over
480 000
new cases reported
CERVICAL CANCER
Over
78 000 women diagnosed
resulting in 40 000 deaths (mortality rates are three times higher in Latin America and the Caribbean than in North America)
LEPROSY
Approximately
21 000 new cases
(over 90% of them in Brazil)
MORBIDITY AND COMPLICATIONS
45 million children
aged 1–14 years across 20 countries facing risks including stunting and anemia, due to intestinal worms
EVERY YEAR IN THE AMERICAS
CONGENITAL SYPHILIS
Estimated
68 000
cases reported
HIV
160 000
new infections
TUBERCULOSIS
325 000 new cases
diagnosed, resulting in 35 000 deaths
OPEN DEFECATION
Over
5.8 million and 1.5 million people
practiced open defecation in the Region’s rural and urban areas, respectively
CHAGAS DISEASE
Approximately
1.1 million women
of childbearing age infected, with around 9000 neonatal infections
VIRAL HEPATITIS
Between
48 000 and 100 000 deaths
by hepatitis (80% due to hepatitis C)
POLLUTING FUELS IN THE HOUSEHOLD
73.7 million people
still rely on polluting fuels for their domestic energy needs.
PAHO's communicable diseases
Elimination Initiative - an innovative approach
The approach prioritizes four lines of action to achieve the elimination targets:
Built with Shorthand