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U.S. HHS Secretary: Health crisis threatens not just Venezuela but the region

00:03 | Lima, May. 1.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the health crisis —created by the Maduro regime— threatens not just the people of Venezuela but the region's collective health, security, and prosperity.

Azar's comments came during his opening remarks at a meeting held in Lima, Peru.

"The resulting wave of migrants and refugees is impacting all countries that are hosting Venezuelans, and not just Venezuela's immediate neighbors," he stated.

As of February 2019, the U.N. estimated that 3.4 million Venezuelans are now outside of Venezuela. By December, they predict it will be 5.3 million.

"I personally have been vocal about the crisis created by the Maduro regime, and its resulting public health effects, and many of you have been vocal as well," the official added.

As he stated, many individuals are arriving in host countries with illnesses, either infectious diseases that cannot be managed in Venezuela or chronic, non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, and hypertension that have worsened due to poor diet and lack of reliable access to medications.

The threat of infectious disease is particularly alarming. Thousands of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases that were previously rare or entirely eliminated, such as measles and diphtheria, have been reported in border areas and spread through local communities.

"This is precisely the kind of crisis we as health ministries must come together to address and prevent," he warned.

For our part, he said, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been providing extensive training and technical assistance to address public health needs across the region.

"We are working closely with PAHO and a number of ministries of health to strengthen epidemiological surveillance, vaccine work, laboratory capacity, and public health preparedness," the secretary went on to say.

The U.S. Department of State, through the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, is providing emergency food assistance and health services to refugees and migrants in crisis situations.

Additionally, the U.S. Agency for International Development is prioritizing emergency food assistance and urgently needed health services in communities hosting vulnerable Venezuelans.

Earlier this month at the U.N., U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced nearly US$61 million in new U.S. Government funding for humanitarian efforts to address the regional crisis.

About the meeting

Azar said this meeting —the one hosted by Peru— is a significant achievement and follows high-level cooperation over the past several months to address the health crisis in the hemisphere.

That collaborative work, he explained, has included meetings in Washington held by PAHO and the U.S. Government last November, followed by meetings hosted by the Organization of American States (OAS) in February.

"The United States strongly supports today's event, and worked with Peru and other countries to bring it about, because we are deeply concerned about the situation in Venezuela and around the region," he added.

(END) NDP/RMB/MVB

Publicado: 1/5/2019