By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
PAHO Targets Vaccine Hesitancy, Trinidad Tightens Election Security, and Haiti Launches Recovery Plan.
PAHO Ramps Up Fight Against Vaccine Hesitancy Across the Americas
The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced it is seeking collaboration with neighboring countries to tackle vaccine hesitancy for yellow fever and measles across the region.
The announcement coincides with warnings from U.S. health researchers that the country is at a critical juncture in the return of measles, decades after it was declared eliminated. Health experts stress that 95% vaccination coverage is necessary to maintain community immunity, especially to protect vulnerable groups like infants under six months.
So far in 2025, PAHO has recorded 2,313 measles cases across six countries, a dramatic rise compared to 215 cases during the same period last year. There have been three confirmed deaths and one more under investigation.
In the United States alone, there have been 800 measles cases this year, including 624 infections and two deaths in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, yellow fever cases are also rising, with 189 cases and 74 deaths reported across four countries.
Trinidad and Tobago Police Warn Against Election Disruptions
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is investigating credible threats aimed at disrupting the country’s April 20th general election.
Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin confirmed that intelligence reports suggest a planned disruption, though he withheld specifics. He vowed that law enforcement would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any efforts to undermine the democratic process.
Benjamin noted that Trinidad and Tobago has a history of peaceful, fair elections, and authorities are determined to maintain that reputation with increased security measures and strategic deployment of manpower leading up to polling day.
Haiti and IDB Launch Ambitious Five-Year Recovery Plan
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), along with the World Bank, the United Nations, and the European Union, has joined forces with the Government of Haiti to launch a five-year Recovery and Development Plan for 2025–2030.
The plan, formalized during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., aims to rebuild critical infrastructure and promote economic resilience outside of Port-au-Prince by fostering new regional growth hubs.
This joint initiative builds on a Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment led by the World Bank, which identified urgent needs and highlighted the critical necessity for medium-term strategic investment to stabilize and grow Haiti’s economy.
