分类： health

A sharp, sustained surge in measles infections across the Americas has spurred the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to issue an urgent call for regional governments to ramp up immunization campaigns, as 2026 case counts have already outpaced the total number recorded across the entire previous year. The public health warning comes just ahead of the upcoming Americas Vaccination Week, scheduled to run from April 25 through May 2, an initiative that aims to deliver nearly 90 million vaccine doses across the region, including catch-up inoculations for more than 7.2 million children who have missed routine vaccinations.

PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa acknowledged that the Americas has made landmark progress in public health immunization over recent decades: the region was the first in the world to successfully eliminate both polio and rubella, and overall routine vaccination coverage has now rebounded fully to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Despite these wins, critical gaps in coverage leave the region vulnerable to preventable disease outbreaks. Data from 2024 shows that coverage for the first dose of the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine stood at 89%, while coverage for the required second dose reached only 79%. Coverage for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) vaccines hit 87% in the same year, but more than 1.4 million children in the region remain completely unvaccinated against all routine preventable diseases.

Measles represents the most pressing immediate public health threat, according to PAHO data. In 2025, nearly 14,800 confirmed measles cases were reported across 13 countries in the region—an over 30-fold increase compared to case counts recorded in 2024. This alarming upward trend has continued into 2026: by early April of this year, more than 15,300 cases had already been confirmed, surpassing the entire 2025 total before the year is even halfway over.

While the majority of global measles cases still occur outside the Americas, the region’s share of the global caseload is rising rapidly. In the first three months of 2026, the Americas accounted for 21% of all measles cases reported worldwide.

PAHO officials stress that measles is far from a harmless childhood illness. The viral infection can cause severe, life-altering complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and permanent blindness, and can be fatal for vulnerable groups including young children and immunocompromised people. In 2025, roughly 13% of all confirmed measles patients in the region required hospital admission, and the overwhelming majority of these severe cases occurred among unvaccinated people.

Contrary to common assumptions, PAHO says the root of the current measles resurgence is not a lack of available vaccines, but persistent barriers to reaching unvaccinated populations. Multiple obstacles contribute to the gap: widespread misinformation about vaccine safety, low public perception of measles risk, and limited access to routine healthcare services in marginalized and underserved communities all keep vaccination coverage below the required threshold.

To stop ongoing outbreaks and prevent large-scale resurgence, PAHO emphasizes that regions need to maintain at least 95% coverage of two doses of measles-containing vaccine. Barbosa warned that even a single confirmed case can spark a widespread community outbreak if coverage falls below this critical threshold.

To support regional governments in addressing the crisis, PAHO is providing practical assistance including improved disease surveillance systems, rapid response support for active outbreaks, and expanded access to vaccines through joint regional procurement mechanisms. Barbosa framed the effort to eliminate measles as a collective public responsibility, noting that “Vaccination is not just an individual choice, it is an act of solidarity. We brought measles under control before, and we can do it again.”

Aging is an inevitable natural process that begins the moment we are born, but maintaining good health and vitality as we grow older is largely within individual control. That is the core message from Vaidya Shasvin Bhoelai, an Ayurvedic natural medicine practitioner, in an interview with local media. Bhoelai, who has Surinamese roots and trained in India and the Netherlands, specializes in research and practice around healthy, vital aging, and currently runs his own clinic called Asamanya Ayurveda Healing in Leiden.

Against widespread cultural attitudes that only prioritize health once people reach older age, Bhoelai emphasizes that healthy aging is a lifelong journey, not a last-minute concern. “People often start taking health seriously only when they are already older, but it is a continuous process that starts at birth,” he explains. “People who live consciously can age longer and with far more vitality.”

For Bhoelai, healthy aging centers on prevention rather than reversal of aging, and small consistent daily habits create meaningful long-term differences. He frames the human lifespan through the core Ayurvedic framework, dividing it into three distinct stages aligned with the practice’s core energies: growth aligned with kapha energy, middle adulthood activity aligned with pitta energy, and the aging phase aligned with vata energy. Transitional life stages such as menopause and andropause often mark the point when aging becomes more noticeable, prompting widespread reminders to pay attention to health. But Bhoelai argues that proactive care should begin much earlier.

Rooted in this centuries-old Indian traditional health system, Ayurveda approaches health through personalized care that prioritizes prevention. Every person has a unique individual constitution, called prakriti, and may experience unique imbalances, called vikriti, so tailored adjustments are needed to restore and maintain long-term balance. One of the most critical factors Bhoelai highlights is diet, noting that many people routinely ignore early warning signals their body sends — from stomach cramps and acid reflux to headaches and persistent low energy. The human body has an innate self-regenerating ability, just as skin heals naturally after a cut, but diet plays a foundational role in supporting this capacity. As people age, digestive fire, or agni, naturally weakens, so what a person eats directly impacts their energy levels, immune resistance, and the rate at which they age.

To support healthy digestion and sustained vitality, Bhoelai recommends eating warm, light, easily digestible foods. He stresses that healthy eating does not need to be expensive, noting that nutrient-dense, healing foods can be easily grown, referencing the fertile soil of his native Suriname where many beneficial plants grow readily. Even small adjustments to daily eating habits can lead to dramatic improvements in how people feel day to day, he adds.

Alongside diet and regular movement, Bhoelai underlines the equal importance of mental and spiritual well-being. Chronic stress acts as a powerful accelerator of the aging process, he explains, noting that the body should be viewed as the “house of the soul” that requires care on every level, not just physical. “Balance between body and mind is essential for a vital life,” he says. A sedentary lifestyle also speeds up functional decline and increases the risk of chronic health conditions, he adds.

To help people of all ages build accessible healthy habits, Bhoelai supports community-based initiatives like vitality clubs. These groups can gather multiple times a week in neighborhoods, streets, or even among family members to engage in outdoor activity, ranging from yoga and swimming to dancing. Bhoelai points out that group activities do more than boost physical and mental health: they also strengthen social connections and keep participants motivated to maintain activity, and can reduce loneliness among older adults.

At its core, Ayurveda focuses on enabling self-healing and sustained health by balancing body, mind, and spirit. When conducting a diagnosis, Bhoelai assesses four core pillars of health: diet, movement, sleep, and sexual health. An imbalance in any of these areas can open the door to illness. Treatments range from dietary adjustments and essential oil massages to the use of medicinal herbs, including wild bitter gourd (wilde sopropo) for diabetes management and the moko-moko plant to support wound healing. The World Health Organization formally recognized Ayurveda as a traditional medical system back in 1978.

Those seeking more information on healthy vital aging or how to set up a local vitality club can reach out at info@ayurveda-aah.com.