The Ministry of Public Health, led by Vice President María José Pinto, intensified its efforts in the canton of Taisha, Morona Santiago province, to bring health services closer and provide comprehensive care to local communities, according to a March 15 announcement.
These actions follow recent epidemiological alerts in the area. Health brigades were immediately sent to remote communities affected by a leptospirosis outbreak. Some of these locations are more than 40 minutes away from the cantonal center by air. The teams included general practitioners, family medicine specialists, nurses, epidemiologists, health promotion staff, intercultural and equality experts, clinical psychologists, dentists, and vaccination teams. They provided vaccinations for children and adults, collected biological samples, offered medical attention, and held informational talks on disease prevention for families.
In response to alerts about scorpion stings—an issue with high incidence in this region—Vice President Pinto visited Taisha and coordinated both national and international efforts that resulted in acquiring anti-scorpion serum. This medication was distributed across local health units for emergency use. Pinto also met with the family of a child who died from a scorpion sting to offer institutional support.
After a sanitary alert was declared in March due to an increase in respiratory illnesses in hard-to-reach communities such as Kuserúa and Wampuik, multidisciplinary medical brigades were deployed. Their work included active case finding, routine immunizations, vector-borne disease control measures, distribution of essential medicines and supplies, strict epidemiological surveillance through an inter-institutional roadmap, and water quality monitoring.
The interventions have been carried out with coordination between local authorities and community leaders to improve public health conditions and reduce epidemiological risks. In recent months there have been 162 activated health brigades providing 6,592 consultations; 2,500 immunizations; 294 health promotion activities; and 249 aeromedical evacuations. All cases of leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, and dengue received treatment with full recovery reported. Additionally, 300 mosquito nets were distributed in areas affected by malaria.
The government said it remains committed to delivering timely healthcare services throughout the country—especially for hard-to-access communities—and aims to promote well-being through concrete actions on the ground.
