Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

The Panama dengue decline has emerged as a defining public health story of 2026, with the Ministry of Health reporting a 35 percent reduction in infections compared to the same period last year. Through epidemiological week 32, covering August 9 to 15, the country had accumulated 6,616 dengue cases, down sharply from 10,193 infections recorded during the equivalent stretch of 2025. Breaking down the figures further, health officials said 5,767 of this year’s cases presented without warning signs, meaning patients experienced classic symptoms like fever, headache, and body aches without indicators of severe progression. Another 810 individuals developed dengue with…

At least 15,643 people have already felt the brutal impact of flooding across Panama since January 2026, with more than 70 percent affected in the provinces of Bocas del Toro and Colón. That staggering figure now sits at the heart of a national emergency response as the government of President José Raúl Mulino deploys a Panama emergency trust designed to channel up to $80 million toward climate-relief efforts. The Cabinet approved the financial mechanism on August 25, 2026, and the resolution appeared in the Digital Official Gazette on September 2, laying out a framework for expedited contracting, fiscal oversight, and…

For the next four weeks, Panama’s coastlines will host one of the largest environmental mobilizations of the year as the 22nd edition of Panama’s Oceans Month gets underway. Forty-eight activities spanning all ten provinces and the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca will bring together marine biologists, student volunteers, and local communities in a coordinated effort to protect the nation’s dual shorelines along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The celebration carries the theme “Panama, the heartbeat of two seas,” reflecting the country’s unique geographic position between two oceans. Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro set the tone during the official launch. “The Month…

Panama has entered a new phase of corporate tax oversight after regulators published Executive Decree No. 32 in the Official Gazette, formalizing economic substance requirements for certain foreign-source passive income. The shift puts tax compliance Panama at the center of a broader effort to align local corporate structures with international expectations and strengthen the country’s reputation as a reliable business hub. What the Economic Substance Decree Actually Changes The newly regulated framework falls under Chapter II of Title I of Book IV of the Fiscal Code. It targets passive income earned outside Panama by entities domiciled in the country. Authorities…

A sharp escalation in respiratory syncytial virus infections has put Panamanian health authorities on high alert, with Panama virus surveillance data showing incidence jumped from 5 cases per 100,000 people to 15.6 cases per 100,000 in about ten weeks. By epidemiological week 33, the country had confirmed 19 deaths tied to the virus, and infants under one year old accounted for more than half of those fatalities. Panama City’s specialized children’s hospital, Hospital del Niño, detected 369 cases between February and May alone. Panama Virus Surveillance Detects a Steady Climb in Infections Dr. Yadira de Moltó from the Ministry of…

Finally a Friendly Nation! A New Phase began this week for Ecuadorian professionals, investors, and families, who gained a pathway to permanent residence in Panama as the Central American nation formally welcomed Ecuador into its list of friendly countries. The decision underscores deepening Panama-Ecuador relations and sets the stage for expanded trade and security cooperation between the two nations. Executive Decree Number 16, published in Panama’s Official Gazette, opens the door for Ecuadorian citizens to apply for permanent residence under the “nationals of friendly countries” subcategory. The process is not automatic though. Applicants must still satisfy all requirements, procedures, and…

Danish companies are positioning themselves to lay a submarine power cable that would anchor the electrical grid interconection between Panama and Colombia, a project that could stitch together power markets from Central America to the Andes. Panama’s foreign ministry confirmed the interest after a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Guevara Mann and Denmark’s ambassador to Panama, Jens Godtfredsen, where consultation processes for the infrastructure took center stage. The proposed link carries broad implications for regional energy security. It would allow electricity to flow between two systems with very different generation costs, demand patterns, and resource mixes, opening the door…

Across Panama’s lowland farms and forested edges, a silent health emergency continues to unfold every time a farmer, child, or domestic animal crosses paths with a venomous snake. Health officials say snakebite prevention Panama must stay at the center of rural public health planning, even as new data show a modest decline in total cases. The national incidence rate sits near 50, which represents improvement compared with earlier periods but still reflects a persistent threat for communities in Chiriquí, Coclé, Veraguas, and Darién. Humberto Vanegas Pereira, a general physician with the Ministry of Health (Minsa), underscored that Panama’s tropical forests…

A consumer protection case that began with accusations of price fixing in three Panamanian towns has concluded with a $66,000 Anti Ice Monopoly Settlement approved by the national Cabinet Council. Seven ice producers and distributors will each contribute between $10,000 and $20,000 to the National Treasury, ending litigation that dated back to 2022 over alleged absolute monopolistic practices in the small bag ice retail market. Seven Companies Resolve Years Long Market Dispute The settlement involves an array of ice businesses operating across Panama’s interior provinces. Hielería Azuero, S.A., Hielo Oriental, S.A., Hielo Cristal Central del Istmo, S.A., Hielo Cristal Las…

A wave of counterfeit weight-loss injectables has pushed Panamanian health authorities to escalate their campaign against illegal medication sales, with regulators flagging at least 17 specific products that have been circulating through informal channels and online marketplaces. The National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs issued a formal health alert just days ago, naming medications like Tirzepatide injection 10 mg, Retatrutide 10 mg/mL solution for injection, and a host of peptide-based treatments including GHK-Cu, BPC-157, and TB-500, all promoted for weight control or obesity treatment without proper authorization. Public Health Risks Behind Counterfeit Medicines Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo didn’t mince…