Pope Leo XIV continues trip through South America as health authorities keep watch
The huge crowds turning out to see the 71-year-old pontiff have prompted heightened fears among health authorities in Latin America, which has seen a surge in measles cases this year.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, northern Peru, on Saturday to preside over a mass attended by thousands of eager followers. The 71-year-old pontiff, who hails from Chicago and served as a missionary and bishop in Peru, is on a South American tour amid concerns over a measles outbreak. Pope Leo XIV, who returned to his hometown of Chiclayo on Friday, is set to fly to the shrine of Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo later in the day for a prayer meeting with the local Catholic community.
Health authorities in Latin America have raised alarms over the surge in measles cases, with 57,666 confirmed cases recorded in 17 countries and territories from January to October. At least 81 deaths have been reported, mainly due to low vaccination rates in countries like Argentina and Peru. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has labeled the risk of measles as very high given the expected crowds at mass gatherings.
Peru, in particular, has seen almost 3,000 cases in 2026, the fourth highest number in the Americas. To combat the outbreak, the government has ramped up vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas, focusing on children aged six to 11 months and those up to 29 years old. Despite these efforts, Uruguay has emerged as the only country to reach the 95% vaccination threshold required to curb the spread of the disease.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
