Browse Honduras Daily Stories

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) raised an epidemic alert as measles cases across the Americas reached 47,459 in the first 28 weeks of 2026—more than eight times the 5,123 cases in the same period of 2025—with Honduras confirming 13 cases, primarily in Cortés and the Bay Islands.

A pediatrician explains that 'culucos'—clumps of fine newborn hair mixed with breast milk on a baby's back—are a cultural myth unrelated to infant crying or colic, and warns that attempting to remove them manually or with irritating substances risks skin injury and infection.

Honduras has paid approximately L10 million (about $400,000) to private hospitals for 154 surgeries and procedures under an emergency health decree aimed at reducing public-hospital surgical backlogs, at an average cost of L63,783 per case, though lawmakers question whether prices are inflated.

Health specialists warn Honduras faces rising dengue and influenza outbreaks, with some 700 dengue cases concentrated in northern municipalities, urging vaccination and vector control.

Honduras is launching psychiatric care teams in prisons to identify, diagnose, and treat inmates with mental-health disorders, marking the first such coordinated initiative between the Health Ministry and the penitentiary system.

Honduras has only 5,000 doctors but needs 23,000 in the public system, according to the Medical College of Honduras, with low pay, salary arrears, and poor working conditions driving emigration to Germany, Spain, England, and other countries.

After the death of Nasser Hilsaca, his sister spoke out against the social stigma and discrimination he faced, clarifying that his weight gain stemmed from severe fluid retention due to an underlying medical condition, not obesity or poor habits.

Honduras's Social Security Institute reported reducing its surgical waiting list from over 6,000 to about 1,000 patients by opening operating rooms on weekends, particularly in the northern region, though officials say specialist shortages still limit capacity to meet demand.

An ASJ report found 46 operating rooms (30% of the public hospital network's 154 total) are out of service due to repairs, maintenance, or equipment shortages, worsening a surgical backlog that has grown to nearly 11,000 patients awaiting procedures.

Honduras's health ministry is monitoring a nationwide increase in diarrheal and stomach infections in children and adults, with tests still under way to identify the cause, and urges hand hygiene and food safety precautions.

Honduras's child-welfare agency (Senaf) documented 62 pregnancies among girls and adolescents so far in 2026, attributing them to sexual violence, and warned that many victims do not report abuse or seek institutional help.

The Health Ministry says it has performed over 4,000 surgeries in six months and spent roughly 160 million lempiras (about $6.4 million) on medicines and supplies as part of efforts to reduce surgical backlogs and improve hospital care nationwide.

Honduras's medical association is calling on the Health Ministry to publicly detail how emergency-relief funds have been spent, including breakdowns of contracts, trust funds (fideicomisos), patient-selection criteria, and progress on reducing the surgical backlog.

Congressman Carlos Umaña, a physician, will introduce a motion to make vaccinations mandatory in Honduras, citing falling immunization rates below 70% and rising cases of whooping cough, measles, and dengue.

Honduras has controlled an avian influenza outbreak in a commercial farm and is preparing technical documentation to resume poultry and egg exports to regional trading partners.

Honduras is updating its integrated strategy for preventing and controlling dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and other vector-borne diseases through 2035, with Pan American Health Organization support, to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, clinical care, vector management, and community response.

Former Health Minister José Manuel Matheu criticized the suspension of three hospitals under investigation for cost overruns, saying the projects should continue while authorities probe why costs allegedly ballooned from $79 million to $280 million.

Honduras recorded 17 deaths from whooping cough through July 2026, more than double the eight deaths in all of 2025, with infants and young children bearing the brunt of the highly contagious bacterial infection.

Public hospitals across Honduras are canceling scheduled surgeries due to shortages of essential anesthetics like midazolam, fentanilo, and propofol, five months after Congress approved a health emergency declaration and a 500-million-lempira (about $20 million) trust fund to address the surgical backlog.

Honduras has recorded 6,218 dengue cases nationwide through epidemiological week 29 (late July), according to the Health Ministry's surveillance unit.

Honduras's Health Ministry announced a major investment to upgrade Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa and Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas in San Pedro Sula, including new operating rooms, medical equipment, and specialized facilities for kidney transplants and other advanced procedures.

Honduras has confirmed 246 human screwworm infestations and three deaths — all adults over 70 with underlying conditions in Olancho and Francisco Morazán — prompting health authorities to intensify prevention efforts and urge prompt medical care for open wounds.

Six hospital projects show a split picture: facilities in Choluteca, Tocoa, and Bay Islands are 24–58% complete and funded by international development banks, while hospitals in Santa Bárbara, Ocotepeque, and Olancho face investigations, contract disputes, and budget shortfalls that threaten completion.

Honduras recorded more than 9,000 traffic accidents killing 1,150 people and injuring 1,891 through July 25, with motorcyclists accounting for 41% of all crashes, driven by a growing motorcycle fleet and reckless driving, the National Road and Transport Authority said.

Honduras has recorded 17 deaths from whooping cough so far in 2026, more than double the eight deaths in all of 2025, with infants and young children bearing the brunt of the outbreak, health authorities say.

Social Security patients are spending L3,000–L6,000 monthly (about $120–$240) out of pocket for medications and supplies due to treatment delays, with chronic and cancer patients most severely affected by administrative backlogs and supply shortages.

Honduras has confirmed 12 measles cases—six imported and six locally acquired—and health officials say they screen suspected cases daily, warning that one infected person can spread the virus to up to 18 others and urging continued vaccination.

The Agriculture Ministry's health agency (Senasa) is training veterinarians, importers, and customs agents on requirements and procedures for importing animal products and veterinary medicines to strengthen biosecurity and ensure compliance with import controls.

Honduras's agricultural health agency has processed 5,312 laboratory samples and monitored over 8.5 million birds across 125 farms to detect high-pathogenicity H5 avian influenza, focusing on rural communities and backyard flocks deemed most vulnerable to the virus's spread.

Following a first phase in which mobile medical units served nearly 17,000 patients, Honduras's Health Ministry is deploying the clinics to Tambla, La Libertad, and La Lima to extend free care to underserved communities.