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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, December 2nd 2025 - 19:17 UTC

Health & Science

  • Wednesday, August 6th 2025 - 08:52 UTC

    Children's vaccination stagnating worldwide

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2024, around 20 million children worldwide were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated

    A new study supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recently published in The Lancet, showed childhood vaccination coverage stagnated worldwide and even declined since 2010, which was made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. The research, which analyzed data from 204 countries between 1980 and 2023, found that while there was sustained growth in vaccination rates during the 1980s and 1990s for diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, and polio, this progress has now stalled.

  • Tuesday, August 5th 2025 - 21:26 UTC

    Uruguay's population projected to decline over time

    A smaller population could decrease housing demand in major cities like Montevideo

    A study released this week by Uruguay's National Institute of Statistics (INE) showed that the South American country's population will have dwindled by nearly half a million people by 2070, falling from approximately 3.49 million to 3 million, due primarily to a low birth rate, an aging population, and a net loss to emigration.

  • Tuesday, August 5th 2025 - 08:32 UTC

    South Georgia, forty year old Antarctica iceberg breaking up and drifting north

    NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen, with science review by Christopher Shuman, UMBC (retired)

    Almost four decades after breaking from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf, a still massive iceberg is showing its age. The berg, named A-23A, is shedding large chunks of ice as it drifts in the southern South Atlantic Ocean, about 2,400 kilometers north of its birthplace.

  • Wednesday, July 30th 2025 - 20:31 UTC

    Uruguay: Concerning surge in syphilis reported

    Social gaps and reckless practices contribute to the spread of the disease

    Uruguayan health authorities reported a concerning surge in syphilis cases, with reported figures nearly doubling from around 3,566 in 2020 to between 7,035 and 7,091 in 2024. This increase is reflected in the incidence rate, which jumped from 101 to 196 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Males are disproportionately affected, and over 50% of diagnoses are in the 18-29 age group. Social inequalities exacerbate the problem, with vulnerable populations having limited access to healthcare and essential resources.

  • Monday, July 28th 2025 - 19:58 UTC

    Brazil out of FAO's Hunger Map

    Brazil had returned to the FAO's Hunger Map in the 2018-2020 period

    Brazil was not included in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO/UN) State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 (SOFI 2025) presented Monday (28) during the 2nd United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4) in Ethiopia.

  • Monday, July 28th 2025 - 19:28 UTC

    Honduras: Teleworking and mask mandates extended

    The measures came into effect last Thursday on a temporary basis

    Honduras has extended teleworking for public institutions and virtual classes until Aug. due to a surge in respiratory illnesses, including the detection of highly contagious Omicron XFG Covid-19 variants. The government has also made mask-wearing mandatory in various enclosed public spaces such as hospitals, airports, shopping centers, and public transport.

  • Monday, July 28th 2025 - 10:02 UTC

    Oropouche fever expanding beyond Amazonia

    Five people have died so far this year from the disease

    Once a malady associated with Amazonia, Oropouche has spread onto various other Brazilian States, so much so that Espírito Santo, almost 3,000 km away, became the record holder with 6,318 cases.

  • Saturday, July 26th 2025 - 10:38 UTC

    Chile to build first pier in Antarctica

    “Antarctica is strategic for the future of the world, and Chile is its gateway,” Boric said

    Chile is set to begin the construction on its first pier in Antarctica by the end of 2025, a strategic project with an investment exceeding US$52 million. This initiative aims to bolster Chile's infrastructure on the continent and reaffirm its Antarctic territorial claims.

  • Friday, July 25th 2025 - 19:52 UTC

    Honduras decrees contingency measures as Covid-19 cases soar

    The Stratus (or Frankenstein) variant is believed to account for 36% of recent infections

    Honduras is re-implementing several public health measures as cases of Covid-19 have been reported to be on the surge. The Omicron subvariant XFG - also known as Stratus or Frankenstein - is believed to account for 36% of recent infections.

  • Tuesday, July 22nd 2025 - 10:03 UTC

    Pharmaceutical industry crisis deepens Bolivia's plight with measles

    Outdated reference prices is also affecting Bolivia's pharmaceutical industry

    Bolivia, currently grappling with a measles outbreak, has reported a pharmaceutical industry crisis exacerbated by a dollar shortage. Additionally, the country is also dealing with low influenza vaccination rates among vulnerable groups.