Overview
- Indigenous mothers from Urarinas protested in Iquitos on December 23, demanding a sanitary emergency for the Chambira basin and giving authorities three days to respond.
- Health Minister Luis Quiroz said there is no generalized spread, stating that of 52 national pertussis deaths recorded from January to October, two were from Chambira, and he rejected declaring an emergency.
- Quiroz detailed resources including S/6.5 million transferred in June for Datem del Marañón, S/4.5 million in December via SIS, S/200,000 for brigade operations, vaccination coverage rising from under 30% to above 80%, and 15 brigades deployed with three currently in the area.
- Loreto’s regional health office reported an increasing case curve in the Chambira basin and Pucayacu even as other provinces show declines.
- Indigenous leaders say support remains insufficient, citing an allocation of S/150,000 for roughly 8,000 families and access barriers from low river levels, and they are requesting civic-action flights, temporary posts, medicines and medical staff.