In 2019, Pan American Health Organization Member States approved the Disease Elimination Initiative: A Policy for an Integrated Sustainable Approach to Communicable Diseases in the Americas committing to eliminating more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030.
These diseases are cost-effective investments. For every US$1 spent, we gain a net benefit of around US$25. That’s a 30% annualized rate of return—a financial win for global health.
Eliminating leprosy, leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease isn’t just about health; it’s about economics. We’re talking $16.6 billion in benefits for 2021-2030, plus $10.4 billion less in out-of-pocket expenses.
Invest in diagnosis and treatment, and the returns range from US$30 to as high as US$115 per dollar. It’s a smart move.
Meeting HIV targets saves US$24 billion in treatment costs . That’s a 15-fold return on investment. Lives transformed; economies boosted.
Every dollar invested in vaccination delivers a return of US$26.35. Protecting lives, enhancing productivity—it’s a no-brainer.
Our constant commitment generates repercussions throughout the region
The results of this initiative are milestones that significantly improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. The commitment of countries, communities, partners, donors, allies, and PAHO is reflected in these achievements.
Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in the Americas
Achieve a cumulative attack rate of suspected cases of meningitis below 1% per 100,000 inhabitants.
Achieve an incidence rate of cervical cancer in women of less than 4 per 100,000 women.
Achieve in a sustained manner for at least 5 years, lower the percentages (0% non-native vectors - less than 1% native vectors) of intra-domiciliary and peridomiciliary infestation of Trypanosoma cruzi by all vector species.
Achieve the absence of community transmission of epidemic Vibrio cholerae for at least three consecutive years.
Reach 90% of newborns cured of T. cruzi infection.
Achieve an incidence rate of less than 0.5% per 1,000 live newborns of syphilis transmitted from mother to child.
Achieve an incidence rate of 0% per 100,000 inhabitants of cystic echinococcosis/hydatidosis in people under 20 years of age.
ELIMINATION
Maintain a prevalence of fascioliasis below 5% over time in children between 5 and 14 years of age and achieve 0 cases of high-intensity infections in the same age group.
Achieve a prevalence of moderate and severe infection due to A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and hookworms in school-age children (5 to 14 years) below 2%.
Achieve elimination as a public health problem.
Achieve a prevalence of HBsAg below 0.1% in children aged 4 to 6 years.
Achieve a rate of less than or equal to 2% HIV incidence of mother-to-child transmission per 100 live births of women with HIV
Achieve an incidence rate of less than 0.02 new HIV infections per 1,000 people per year (90% reduction since 2010). And achieve a 65% reduction in annual HIV-related deaths compared to 2010 values.
Achieve a rate of 0 cases of rabies mortality transmitted by dogs per 1,000 inhabitants.
Achieve numbers equivalent to 0 new autochthonous cases for at least five consecutive years among children up to 15 years of age and 0 new autochthonous cases for at least three consecutive years after achieving interruption of transmission.
Achieve a prevalence, sustained for at least 4 years, of microfilaremia below 1% or prevalence of antigenemia below 2% in persons up to 5 years of age after discontinuation of mass drug administration.
Achieve 0 new indigenous cases for three consecutive years.
Achieve a prevalence of infective flies and seroprevalence of onchocerciasis in children under 10 years of age below 0.1%
Reach 0 confirmed cases of plague.
90% reduction in new syphilis and gonorrhea infections compared to 2020.
Achieve a proportion of high intensity Schistosoma mansoni infections in school-age children (5 to 14 years) below 1%.
Achieve a prevalence below 5% of follicular trachomatous inflammation in children aged 1 to 9 years and below 0.2% of trachomatous trichiasis unknown to the health system in people aged 15 years and older in each previously endemic district.
Achieve the pre-elimination of tuberculosis by reaching an incidence rate of less than 1 case per 100,000 inhabitants and the elimination of tuberculosis as a public health problem by reaching a rate of less than 0.1 case per 100,000 inhabitants.
Reduce (2030) the population that practices open defecation by 95% (2020).
Reach a percentage below 5% of the population that depends on the use of biomass fuels for cooking
Achieve the absence of cases of congenital rubella syndrome associated with endemic transmission.
Achieve freedom from endemic transmission for at least 12 months.
Achieve an incidence rate of neonatal tetanus below 1% per 1,000 live births.
Reach 0 cases per 1,000,000 people under 15 years of age.
Achieve freedom from endemic transmission for at least 12 months.
Reach 0 cases of urban yellow fever due to transmission by Aedes aegypti and maintain zero new jungle outbreaks of yellow fever.
Achieve 0 cases of foot and mouth disease in countries or areas where vaccination is not practiced.
Achieve an incidence rate of infection by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue of 0 new autochthonous cases confirmed serologically and by PCR for 3 consecutive years. Also the seroprevalence of infection by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue in children from 1 to 5 years of age for 3 continuous years measured with serological surveys.