Peruvian Government Allocates 4 Million Soles to Combat Measles Outbreak

The Ministry of Health in Peru approved a transfer of up to 4 million soles to the regional governments of Apurímac, Arequipa, Cusco, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna. The funds are meant to support the response to a measles outbreak that has been declared a health emergency in multiple departments, including Lima, Puno, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancavelila, Moquegua, Amazonas, Loreto, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali, Madre de Dios, Apurímac and the Callao province. The emergency measures aim to protect, recover and maintain the health of affected people and to prevent further spread.

In the department of Cusco, health authorities confirmed a third measles case in a university student at the Andean University of Cusco in Sicuani. After the diagnosis, a rapid epidemiological response was launched: contact tracing of classmates, staff and family; vaccination brigades were deployed on campus to administer booster shots; and active surveillance was intensified in local health centers. Officials urged the community to seek prompt medical care for any rash and fever symptoms and emphasized vaccination as the key preventive tool.