Public Health

Congress approved a measure to mark October 25 annually as Spina Bifida Prevention Day, aiming to raise awareness of a birth defect that affects an estimated 30–40 per 10,000 live births in Honduras and can be prevented with adequate folic acid intake during early pregnancy.

Honduras's Forensic Medicine Directorate will bury 20 unclaimed bodies from Tegucigalpa's morgue on November 14, bringing the year's total of bodies interred by the institute to 76.

Honduras's Medical College continued nationwide informational assemblies on October 21, marking 45 consecutive days of protest over unpaid wages, salary compliance, pending raises, and reinstatement of fired doctors, with the government and Medical College offering conflicting accounts of resolved cases.

The Health Ministry announced six new operating rooms at Hospital Escuela that are expected to double daily surgeries from 60 to 120 and reduce the surgical backlog by the first quarter of 2027.

Health authorities are intensifying prevention efforts in Cortés after more than 600 dengue cases were reported in a single week, urging residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and seek immediate medical care for warning signs.

Honduras has recorded 315 cases of human screwworm infection (myiasis) in 2026, exceeding all of 2025, with three deaths among people over 70; health authorities urge preventive measures including keeping wounds covered and avoiding outdoor sleep near livestock areas.

Health authorities report that 6,638 public-sector physicians have received their salaries, representing 96% of registered medical staff nationwide, though 278 doctors remain unpaid.

The teaching hospital will conduct free medical evaluations on October 18 for children and adults with hand injuries, birth defects, or movement limitations, with plastic surgeons assessing candidates for reconstructive surgery.

Government-run mobile health units visiting rural municipalities across Honduras provide free consultations, diagnostic tests, and medications, serving nearly 10,000 people in their first month as an alternative during the ongoing physician strike.

Honduras has confirmed five deaths from severe dengue in Olancho, Choluteca, and the capital, with health authorities investigating a possible sixth fatality of a 19-year-old from Roatán whose case evaluation will take two to three weeks.

Honduras's Medical College is holding a 12-hour nationwide assembly on October 12 to press 15 labor demands, including halted dismissals, back pay, and a 12% budget allocation to public health, with emergency and critical-care units required to maintain coverage.

Honduras's Medical College warns that physician protests over months of unpaid salaries will intensify after a national holiday if the government does not provide concrete payment solutions, with the current 30-day work stoppage already forcing thousands of hospital appointments and procedures to be suspended and rescheduled.

Former Health Secretary Carla Paredes says medical equipment purchased under the Castro administration is deteriorating in a Tegucigalpa warehouse while the Asfura government has closed 24-hour health centers, pushing patients toward private clinics.

The IHSS will restart nationwide medical consultations on October 12 after doctors agreed to return following five weeks of informational assemblies, following a directive board's recognition of a 2025 agreement that extends annual vacation time from 18 to 21 days.

The Bay Islands health authority will keep clinics open across all four municipalities through October 9 to ensure residents and visitors have medical access during the holiday break.

Honduras has gone 17 consecutive years without a human rabies case transmitted by dogs and is working toward international certification of the achievement through ongoing dog vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance, and monitoring of wildlife reservoirs.

At least 200 interim and 500 contract physicians at the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) have not received payment, according to the association's president Ricardo Rodas.

Honduras's social-security institute (IHSS) announced it will fully resume health services and administrative work on October 12 after concluding informational assemblies by the medical college at its clinics and hospitals nationwide.

President Asfura's proposal to purchase an operating private hospital and relocate outpatient and emergency services from the overcrowded Hospital Escuela faces skepticism from physicians who question whether a private facility would have sufficient capacity to meaningfully ease the strain on the nation's primary public hospital.

Hospital Escuela will operate on normal schedule Monday and Tuesday, then limit services to emergencies only from Wednesday through the Morazán holiday period.

Health authorities in Cortés report 621 confirmed dengue cases in San Pedro Sula year-to-date, with 19 new infections in recent weeks, and are urging residents to eliminate standing water and allow fumigation teams to prevent further spread.

The government is examining the purchase of an already-built hospital to add to the public health network and relieve overcrowding at Hospital Escuela, Honduras's main medical center.

President Asfura said the government is evaluating the purchase of an already-operational hospital to relocate outpatient and emergency services from the overcrowded Hospital Escuela, Honduras's main public medical center.

Hospital Escuela's blood bank will accept donations October 5–9, remaining open through the Morazán Week holiday period.

Physician assemblies at Honduras's public-health institute have suspended outpatient consultations and elective surgeries for nearly a month, costing over L400 million (about $16 million), while doctors press demands for wage adjustments and contract improvements.

The Public Ministry's environmental prosecutor in San Pedro Sula is ordering the municipal authority to clear a dangerous accumulation of garbage in Cofradía within 48 hours, citing health risks from contamination, vector breeding, and threats to water sources.

Honduras's month-long physician labor action, now in its fourth week of assembly-led protests, has left non-emergency patients waiting weeks for rescheduled appointments, while doctors demand salary arrears, contract renewals, wage adjustments tied to inflation, and increased health-sector funding.

A viral TikTok video shows families of patients at Honduras's main public hospital, the Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa, sleeping on cardboard and floors while waiting for news of loved ones, highlighting the lack of basic accommodations and resources for companions from distant municipalities.

At a PAHO regional webinar, Honduras Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Midence highlighted the country's progress in reducing preventable maternal deaths through emergency obstetric coordination, adolescent pregnancy prevention, and expanded contraceptive access.

Honduras's Medical College challenged Health Ministry assertions that 96% of public-sector doctors have been paid, questioning the source of the government's figures while many physicians remain unpaid for months.