salud con lupa - Report For Impact

Journalism has the power to show that the climate crisis is already here.

Peru – Salud con Lupa: Wounds of Water: Covering a Crisis in the Making

Salud con Lupa is a digital media outlet specializing in public health in Peru with a scope throughout Latin America. Its mission is to provide rigorous and reliable information so that people understand health as a common good, under the “One Health” approach, which integrates people’s health, the health of animals, and the environment. Through investigative journalism, it tackles misinformation, exposes government failures and abuses by industries that affect public health, and promotes health as a fundamental human right.

Since its inception, Salud con Lupa has helped strengthen health journalism in Latin America, playing a particularly prominent role during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing useful information to protect the public. In addition, it carries out important educational work by disseminating health knowledge in various settings—such as universities, vaccination centers in the Amazon, and the Congress of the Republic—with the goal of fostering informed public debate and greater public awareness of the importance of health.

Followers on X

Facebook Followers

MAIN REVENUE MODEL

Grants & Crossborder Collaborative Reporting Projects

> The Story

Salud con Lupa’s in-depth coverage explores the growing climate and environmental crisis and its health consequences in Peru, focusing on how extreme weather events and natural resource management affect people’s health. Through its reporting, Salud con Lupa has documented the impact of floods, heat waves, and the El Niño phenomenon on the spread of diseases such as leptospirosis and dengue, as well as the shortcomings in the preparedness of hospitals, schools, and early warning systems to respond to these risks.

The reporting highlights the profound water crisis facing the country, revealing how the overexploitation of water resources, political decisions, and the interests of the agro-export sector worsen the shortage and jeopardize access to drinking water for thousands of families. From the critical situation at the Poechos reservoir and the contamination of water sources in Ica to investigations into the management of the National Water Authority, the coverage highlights the close relationship between governance, climate change, access to water, and public health.

"Covering the link between the climate crisis, environmental degradation, and public health helped me understand that many of the challenges people face in the context of these issues cannot be explained by a single sector. Behind an outbreak of leptospirosis, the spread of dengue, water shortages, or exposure to heat waves lie decisions regarding the proper management of natural resources; these situations also reveal the government’s ability to prevent risks before they become emergencies. Reporting on these issues involved reviewing data, traveling to different regions, speaking with communities, experts, and officials, and trying to connect all these elements—which are often analyzed in isolation—to take a systemic view of the whole picture. For this very reason, one of the biggest challenges was precisely translating these complex issues into stories that would be engaging and easy for the public to understand, without losing sight of the journalistic rigor and context required by such sensitive topics. The most rewarding part has been seeing that these investigations helped create space on the public agenda for issues that had long received little attention. Furthermore, covering these stories convinced me that journalism has the power to show that the climate crisis is already here—that it is a reality whose impacts are already having an impact on health, access to water, and daily lives of thousands of people. Having contributed to that conversation has been one of the most valuable experiences of my entire career"

Paul Tuesta

lead reporter at Salud Con Lupa

Multimedia & Sources:

External and Internal Network Impact

This investigative report highlighted the benefits of in-depth, multi-angle coverage featuring the perspectives of public health experts, environmental researchers, and civil society organizations working on issues related to climate, water governance, and health in Peru. By adopting a “One Health” approach, the report brought together communities that were traditionally separated—including environmental, health, and political actors—around shared evidence on how climate change, water management, and institutional failures are affecting vulnerable populations.

External Individual Impact

This series of reports has provided citizens with the tools for analysis and discussion regarding the health consequences of climate change and water scarcity by translating complex scientific and political issues into accessible journalism. It raised awareness of emerging health risks, such as leptospirosis, dengue, and extreme heat, while highlighting how inadequate infrastructure and poor water governance directly affect people’s daily lives, especially in vulnerable communities.

Internal Individual Impact

The special coverage by “Salud con Lupa” contributes to greater public scrutiny of the government’s preparedness to address the El Niño phenomenon, water resource management, and public health policies. By documenting institutional shortcomings—from vulnerable hospitals and schools to the management of the National Water Authority—the series highlights the need to monitor accountability in the areas of climate adaptation, water security, and disease prevention, while also fueling public debate on the need for stronger public policies and early warning systems.

External Institutional Impact

The reporting by Causa Natura contributed to tangible institutional responses and policy outcomes. Coverage of the women-led coastal monitoring initiative prompted authorities to formally engage with the communities and establish a collaborative working committee. Coverage of the female fish filleters and fisherwomen contributed to the creation of an official registry in Yucatán, an important step toward the recognition of their labor rights and access to benefits. The investigation into the threatened Mayan salt flats generated enough public scrutiny that the drinking water infrastructure project linked to hotel development was ultimately suspended, thus preventing damage to an ancestral ecosystem and a cultural resource.