AGP Executive Report

Measles Alert: PAHO sounded a “very high” public health risk after measles cases in the Americas surged to 47,500 confirmed infections in 16 countries, with 44 deaths—95% concentrated in Guatemala, Mexico, the U.S., and Peru—urging countries to strengthen vaccination and protect communities with limited access to care. Amazon Health Access: In Peru’s Loreto, families in San Lorenzo face dangerous, long referrals for serious illnesses like pneumonia, anemia, malaria, and chronic malnutrition; limited flights and no pediatric ICU in nearby Yurimaguas can force families to give up care. Road Safety Tragedy: A minivan crash in Cusco’s Espinar region killed 13 people and injured four after it collided with a stopped trailer; victims were taken to hospitals in Arequipa for specialized treatment. Illegal Mining & Health: Peru’s illegal mining boom—USD 3,355 million from Oct 2024 to Oct 2025—has expanded across Amazon river basins, driving deforestation and mercury contamination that threatens ecosystems and local health, including indigenous communities.

Measles Vaccination Push: PAHO issued an epidemiological alert urging Americas countries to strengthen vaccination after measles cases tripled year-on-year; Peru Focus: 95% of confirmed cases are concentrated in Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Peru, with the risk labeled “very high” due to travel and outbreaks; Amazon Health Access: In Peru’s Loreto, families in remote communities face grueling referrals—up to 15 hours by river—for care beyond basic services, with limited flights and no pediatric ICU in the nearest referral hospital; Illegal Mining Alarm: Peru’s illegal mining reached about USD 3,355 million (Oct 2024–Oct 2025), expanding in the Amazon with dredging, deforestation, mercury contamination, and impacts on dozens of indigenous communities; El Niño Food Prices: El Niño is expected to intensify during Peru’s blueberry peak harvest, threatening yields and exports and adding pressure to prices beyond berries, with broader effects on agribusiness and fisheries.

Amazon Healthcare Access: In San Lorenzo (Loreto), patients—especially children—face major delays getting care for pneumonia, anemia, malaria, whooping cough, HIV and chronic malnutrition, with referrals often requiring dangerous, long trips to Yurimaguas or even Iquitos due to limited local capacity. Peru Health & Climate Response: Peru’s president is coordinating actions against El Niño, with attention to protecting vulnerable groups as weather risks rise. Public Health Accountability: A separate report highlights how Peru’s COVID-19 death rates were among the highest per capita during the pandemic’s peak, fueling renewed debate over health policy and preparedness. Health System Pressure in Remote Areas: The same Amazon coverage underscores the human cost of scarce connectivity and the lack of specialized services like pediatric intensive care in regional hospitals.

Public Health & Policy: Peru’s anti-foreign-funding “anti-NGO” law is being challenged in court, with Lima already striking down two of its most restrictive provisions—an important test for independent health reporting that often relies on international support. Disaster Preparedness: Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori is coordinating actions against El Niño and has announced US$41.2 million for desilting works in Piura, alongside calls to prioritize care for elderly and children. Infectious Disease (Global, Peru-linked): Japan’s Yagiyama Zoological Park reported all four Humboldt penguins died from avian malaria; the species is native to Peru and Chile, and the zoo plans enclosure changes to reduce mosquito breeding. Health & Society (Regional): Colombia’s new right-wing president Abelardo de la Espriella pledged a tougher fight on armed groups and drug trafficking, while Reuters coverage highlights how security and austerity shifts can shape public well-being. Health Context (Global): A Reuters fact-check on COVID claims notes Peru’s high per-capita death rate during the pandemic’s peak, underscoring the stakes of accurate public health messaging.

Primary Health Care Boost: The Bahamas has joined the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, aligning investments and technical support to strengthen primary care through a new consultative mechanism led by its health ministry. El Niño and Work Risks: The ILO warns the 2026–2027 El Niño could hit jobs and incomes across Latin America and the Caribbean, especially informal and outdoor workers, raising risks like food insecurity and child labor. Peru Health & Policy: Peru’s anti–foreign-funding media law is being challenged in court by investigative outlets, after a Lima court struck down its most restrictive provisions—an issue closely tied to public-interest reporting and health-related accountability. Road Safety in Peru Region: The IDB highlights Cemex’s road-safety program (rolled out in Peru among other countries) as a model, citing a 54% drop in accidents linked to its operations over six years. Climate Health Watch: Italy declared “red” heat danger in all 27 major cities, warning of serious health risks even for healthy people.

Primary Health Care Alliance: The Bahamas has joined PAHO’s Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, aiming to strengthen primary care through coordinated investment, technical cooperation, and innovation. Peru Health & Climate: Peru’s President Fujimori is coordinating actions against El Niño and prioritizing care for elderly and children, while authorities also announced US$41.2 million for desilting works in Piura. Nutrition & Food Safety: Peru’s exports rose 34% in 1H 2026, with strong gains in agriculture (including blueberries and avocados), alongside ongoing attention to public health risks tied to sanitation and hygiene. Health System & Access: A global discussion on HIV prevention access highlights how drug availability can lag behind need, especially where funding cuts limit patient reach. Public Health Risks: A Peru-related report notes a cocaine smuggling challenge for law enforcers, underscoring ongoing substance-related health and safety concerns. Community Wellness: Local wellness efforts continue to expand, including health screenings and community fairs tied to nursing and public outreach.

El Niño Coordination: Peru’s President led the Council of Ministers to coordinate actions against El Niño, including inspections and plans to reactivate protective infrastructure in landslide-prone areas. Public Health & Surveillance: A Peru-led study in Arequipa tested a new disease surveillance approach for Chagas, using an “immune system” model to find more disease-carrying insects than traditional methods. Lead Poisoning Accountability: Peru’s cardinal highlighted a historic US$150m settlement tied to lead poisoning affecting about 1,300 people, calling it a milestone for affected families. HIV Prevention Access: Updates from the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio focused on a once-monthly PrEP pill concept, with major licensing gaps noted for Latin America, including Peru. Health Policy & Services: Peru’s government also emphasized strengthening state response capacity across health and other sectors as risks rise. Community Wellness: A Peruvian Amazon cacao company is bringing ceremonial cacao to the Westside, linking nutrition and wellness with community events.

Amazon Fire Prevention in Peru: A new report highlights how Asháninka communities in Peru’s central Amazon are pushing back against worsening forest fires with community-led fire management, after past burns left dead animals and destroyed medicinal plants. Health Justice in Peru: Peruvian cardinal Pedro Barreto calls a $150m out-of-court settlement for 1,373 people poisoned as children by La Oroya’s toxic smelter a “historic milestone,” though he warns it can’t undo neurological harm. Dementia Care in Latin America: A two-year coach-led lifestyle trial across 11 countries (including Peru) found structured support improved global cognition about 55% more than a flexible self-guided approach. Peru’s El Niño Readiness: Peru’s president urges prioritizing care for elderly and children ahead of El Niño, as the country prepares for climate impacts. Medical Tech in the Region: MEDITECH 2026 in Bogotá drew 12,700 healthcare professionals and nearly 300 exhibitors from 16 countries, signaling continued growth in Latin American healthcare innovation.

Peru Health & Rights: Keiko Fujimori’s presidency arrives as Peru’s sterilisation legacy resurfaces: victims of the 1996–2000 national family planning programme—over 270,000 documented cases—are still demanding justice and accountability, fearing unresolved harms as survivors seek recognition and remedies. Public Health & Safety: Peru’s President announced a national emergency response focused on organized crime and El Niño threats, including plans to de-silt rivers, protect watersheds, and deploy rapid logistics to secure food, water, and medicine for vulnerable communities. Toxic Exposure Justice: A Peruvian cardinal hailed a $150m out-of-court settlement for more than 1,000 people allegedly poisoned as children by the La Oroya smelter, calling it a historic milestone after a long legal fight. Healthcare Accountability: A consumer court ordered a hospital and cardiologist to pay Rs 99 lakh compensation in a case where dialysis was not justified for a patient with serious cardiac complications. Climate & Health: Italy escalated heat alerts to maximum red status for all 27 major cities, warning residents to avoid peak sun, hydrate, and protect children and animals.

El Niño Response in Peru: President Keiko Fujimori took office and declared a national emergency focused on organized crime and El Niño threats, promising river desilting, river defenses, watershed protection, and a rapid logistics system to secure food, water, and medicine for vulnerable groups, with support for affected farmers. HIV Prevention Access Gap: Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention drug with near-100% efficacy, still hasn’t reached Latin America, including Peru, despite trial participation—highlighting pricing and access barriers. Public Health Outbreak Watch: A U.S. outbreak of Cyclospora has led to the first deaths in Michigan, with health officials warning about dehydration risk from prolonged diarrhea. Health & Safety Context: Peru’s new administration also signals armed forces deployment to support public security and transport systems, as the country prepares for climate impacts. Global Health Misinformation: A CNN segment fact-checks HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims about COVID-19, vaccines, and Lyme disease, underscoring ongoing public confusion around health science.

Peru Health & Care: Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, jailed in the Odebrecht case, asked President Keiko Fujimori to speed up his humanitarian pardon request, saying he has cancer, a serious heart condition, and bleeding—while Peru’s new administration says any decision will go through technical/medical review and a humanitarian lens. Public Health & Safety: Peru’s president also reiterated that care for elderly people and children must be prioritized ahead of El Niño, as the country prepares for broader health and disaster risks. Health Research & Women’s Health: New studies spotlight PCOS as a multi-system metabolic-inflammation condition and discuss barriers to physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum, including culturally tailored home-based approaches. Community Health: A poultry vaccination guide emphasizes biosecurity and flock management for backyard farmers, stressing prevention as the key defense against viral diseases. Health Policy Context: Peru’s new government moves to deploy armed forces on streets and in transport systems, a reminder that public safety and health access often intersect during major transitions.

Peru Health & Safety: Peru’s Nazca sightseeing plane crash that killed 13 (including 11 tourists) is now under expert investigation after officials said a mechanical failure may have triggered the emergency before the aircraft went down near the Nazca Lines. Public Health & Prevention: New research reports the first direct molecular link showing smallpox DNA in Inca-era mummies from northern Chile, strengthening the case that European colonists brought variola to the Americas—an event that reshaped health outcomes for Indigenous populations. Care Access & Brain Health: A two-year Latin America study (LatAm-FINGERS) finds culturally adapted lifestyle programs—combining physical activity, healthier eating, cognitive training, and social support—can improve memory and thinking in older adults at risk of dementia, with stronger gains from more intensive coaching. Health Policy & Water Security: A U.S. grant program is funding cybersecurity upgrades for local water systems, aiming to protect essential services as cyberattacks increasingly target water infrastructure. Medical Urgency in Custody: Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo renewed a plea for a presidential pardon, citing serious heart problems, cancer, and bleeding, and asking the government to speed up the medical and humanitarian review.

Dementia Prevention in Latin America: A two-year, Alzheimer’s Association-funded study across 11 countries found culturally adapted lifestyle programs improved memory and thinking in older adults at risk of dementia, with the more intensive, coached approach delivering the strongest gains. UTI Drug Resistance Research: New lab-focused reporting highlights how uropathogenic E. coli strains drive urinary tract infections and how rising antimicrobial resistance is complicating treatment choices. Peru Air Safety Tragedy: A small plane crashed near the Nazca Lines after departing from Pisco, killing all 13 people onboard; authorities say the aircraft lost contact and rescue teams recovered bodies amid a major emergency response. Peru Security & Deportations: Peru’s Armed Forces are supporting crime-fighting and deportation operations, including repatriating Venezuelan nationals after prison sentences. Public Health & Heat Risk: Italy placed 25 major cities on the highest heat alert level, warning even healthy people face serious health risks during the ongoing heatwave. Bird Flu Watch: Australia confirmed a mass mortality event of H5N1 in seabirds, raising concern for spread to inland waterbird areas.

Aviation Safety in Peru: A small tourist plane crashed near the Nazca Lines, killing all 13 people aboard (11 passengers and 2 crew) shortly after takeoff from Pisco, prompting an emergency response and an investigation into the cause. Public Health Misinformation Check: A doctor fact-checked claims made by U.S. HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about COVID-19 deaths and vaccines, noting that his statements conflict with widely accepted research. Health & Community Support: A Back to School Community Health Fair offered free kids’ haircuts plus vision and dental checks, alongside backpack giveaways. Infectious Disease Watch: Reports warn that tick activity could be unusually intense this summer in West Virginia, urging prevention for hikers and campers. Peru Wellness & Culture: A new project highlights Andean healing traditions and how ritual and movement shaped an Ecuadorian artist’s health journey.

Plane Crash in Peru: A small tourist aircraft crashed near the Nazca Lines on Saturday, killing all 13 people aboard (11 passengers and 2 crew), with authorities reporting the plane lost radio contact shortly after takeoff from Pisco and rescue efforts found no survivors. Public Health Research: A new study reports direct molecular proof of smallpox in Inca-period remains in northern Chile, strengthening the link that Europeans brought the virus to the Americas. Dementia Prevention: A large Latin America lifestyle trial (LatAm-FINGERS) reported improved thinking skills for older adults using culturally adapted exercise and brain-training, adding momentum to prevention-focused dementia strategies. Health & Safety Alerts: While not Peru-focused, heat-wave reporting from abroad highlights how extreme temperatures are being tracked with city-level health warnings—an approach Peru could watch as climate risks rise.

HIV Prevention Access Crisis: A “miracle” HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, showed near-total effectiveness with just two shots a year, but Latin American countries including Peru face steep pricing barriers that block access, sparking protests at the International AIDS Society Conference. Dementia Risk Reduction Trial: A culturally adapted lifestyle program tested in Latin America improved participants’ thinking skills, adding momentum to prevention-focused approaches like exercise and brain training. Heat-Health Alerts: Italy’s Health Ministry issued the highest heat wave alerts for 25 cities, warning that risks extend beyond vulnerable groups—an urgent reminder for heat preparedness and hydration. Peru Health History Breakthrough: Direct smallpox DNA was detected in Inca-period remains from northern Chile, strengthening the case that European colonists brought devastating smallpox to the Americas. Climate & Food Security in Peru: New research links seabird guano to larger maize harvests and stronger trade in Peru’s pre-Inca Chincha kingdom, highlighting how natural resources shaped resilience. Local Health & Services: Peru’s new president and cabinet moves include commitments to public well-being, while regional efforts continue to expand infrastructure and services.