Dear Jackeline and colleagues,
It is interesting to learn that that 'Honduras is considered a transit and storage point for fentanyl in the region, with growing concerns that it could also become a consumer country'.
I look forward to learning more about the situation in Honduras and other countries in Latin America and worldwide.
I refer to a recent paper. Here is the abstract and a selected quote:
CITATION: J Glob Health. 2025 Jul 1;15:03030. doi: 10.7189/jogh.15.03030
Opioid use in Latin America: a vital challenge for health systems
Alejandra Palma 1, Pedro E Pérez-Cruz 2, Katherine Pettus 3, Tania Pastrana 3,4
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12210210/
ABSTRACT: This viewpoint challenges the notion that Latin America is on the verge of an opioid use disorder crisis similar to that occurring in the USA and Canada. We critically analyse the evidence presented by León and colleagues, who argues that opioid prescribing patterns in countries such as Chile reflect an alarming expansion of misuse, especially in the context of chronic non-cancer pain. While acknowledging the growing availability of opioids in Latin America, we contend that this trend primarily reflects efforts to expand palliative care and rational opioid access for serious health-related suffering. Drawing from regional and national data, we show that increases in opioid consumption in countries like Chile are consistent with public health improvements, including national pain relief programmes and coverage of cancer patients with palliative care services. The evidence of opioid use disorder and non-medical use is limited and does not justify alarmist conclusions. We advocate for balanced strategies that address opioid misuse risks while ensuring access to pain relief, provided they are guided by international standards, data-informed policymaking, and transparent reporting of conflicts of interest. The global health community must prioritise equitable opioid access across Latin America to alleviate serious health-related suffering and uphold the principles of universal health coverage.
SELECTED EXTRACT: Experts recognise concerns about the addictive potential of opioids, often termed ‘opiophobia’, as one of several barriers limiting rational access to pain relief worldwide. These barriers, including opiophobia, can be effectively addressed through adequate medical education and professional PC and harm reduction programmes...
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org