Published since 1922, the Pan American Journal of Public Health is the flagship scientific and technical periodical of the Pan American Health Organization. Its mission is to contribute to the production and dissemination of scientific public health information of international significance, mainly in areas related to PAHO's essential mission of strengthening health systems and improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Publication in the journal has no cost for authors, and all manuscripts are open access and free for readers.

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Selected manuscripts on international health days

The HEARTS 2026 special edition documents and disseminates evidence regarding the impact of this initiative in the Americas

Read more about The HEARTS 2026 special edition documents and disseminates evidence regarding the impact of this initiative in the Americas

Washington, D.C., 24 September 2026 – HEARTS in the Americas strengthens primary health care through better hypertension control and cardiovascular risk management. Ministries of health lead implementation alongside health professionals and scientific and academic partners, with PAHO’s technical cooperation. Within PAHO, this initiative is led by the Noncommunicable Diseases, Violence and Injury Prevention Unit (NMH/NV).

Special issue explores the role of primary health care in addressing NCDs

Read more about Special issue explores the role of primary health care in addressing NCDs

Washington, DC, January 7, 2026 (PAHO) – The Pan American Journal of Public Health, the scientific publication of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), recently published a special issue dedicated to strengthening primary health care to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Americas.

World Heart Day

The mission of the Pan American Journal of Public Health is to serve as an important vehicle for disseminating scientific public health information relevant to the Region of the Americas. The journal aims to strengthen national and local health systems and to bridge the gap between health care and policy-makers, ultimately improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Tracking human New World screwworm in the Americas: burden, spread, and knowledge gaps

Read more about Tracking human New World screwworm in the Americas: burden, spread, and knowledge gaps

Objectives. To map the available evidence on human cases of New World screwworm across the Americas and identify guidance relevant to surveillance and management.

Laboratory-based trends in dengue and other arboviruses in the Caribbean: Analysis of surveillance data, 2018-2024

Read more about Laboratory-based trends in dengue and other arboviruses in the Caribbean: Analysis of surveillance data, 2018-2024

Objective: To describe laboratory-based patterns of arboviral circulation, including serotype distribution and temporal trends, and their contribution to regional situational awareness in the Caribbean.

Preparedness for summer illnesses and emergencies in Chile, 2024–2025: lessons from an innovative policy

Read more about Preparedness for summer illnesses and emergencies in Chile, 2024–2025: lessons from an innovative policy

Climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme heat events have heightened the importance of health issues during the summer season. This season is also associated with greater population mobility, outdoor recreational activities, and exposure to biological and environmental risks, all of which require coordinated responses from health systems.

Sociodemographic factors associated with yellow fever mortality in Colombia, 2024–2026

Read more about Sociodemographic factors associated with yellow fever mortality in Colombia, 2024–2026

Objective. To analyze the sociodemographic factors associated with case fatality rates for yellow fever in Colombia between January 2024 and January 2026.

Improving cardiovascular care in a resource-limited setting through the HEARTS initiative in Suriname, 2022 to 2025

Read more about Improving cardiovascular care in a resource-limited setting through the HEARTS initiative in Suriname, 2022 to 2025

Objective. To evaluate early implementation of the HEARTS initiative in Suriname (2022-2025), identify key barriers and facilitators, and assess initial program performance.

HEARTS Accreditation: institutionalizing quality improvement of integrated cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic services in primary care

Read more about HEARTS Accreditation: institutionalizing quality improvement of integrated cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic services in primary care

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the World Health Organization (WHO) Region of the Americas, with uncontrolled hypertension as the main modifiable risk factor. Their frequent coexistence with kidney and metabolic conditions creates an interconnected cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic burden and highlights gaps in prevention, detection, continuity, integration, and quality of care. HEARTS in the Americas is one of the largest regional implementations of the WHO’s Global HEARTS initiative and a central platform for strengthening primary care.

National implementation of HEARTS in Cuba: Management and innovation in a context of limited resources

Read more about National implementation of HEARTS in Cuba: Management and innovation in a context of limited resources

The HEARTS initiative in the Americas, aimed at reducing cardiovascular mortality through the control of hypertension, required significant contextual adaptation for its successful implementation in Cuba. This article analyzes the organizational strategy and key innovations used to adapt the model to the national context, which enabled the program to expand from a single demonstration site (2016) to 451 primary care centers nationwide (2022).