PAHO Director cites “a clear Pan American consensus” in favor of universal health coverage, as 52nd Directing Council ends

“A clear Pan American consensus has emerged that universal health coverage is essential if we are to improve human health and well-being; to eradicate or eliminate diseases; to reduce morbidity and mortality gaps; and to especially reduce those inequities that perpetuate human suffering in our countries, thus inhibiting the full realization of human dignity and human potential and preventing the full participation of each and every person in our region’s development”, said PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne in her closing remarks for the 52nd PAHO Directing Council meeting.

Executive Committee sets dates and agenda items for its future sessions and the next PAHO Directing Council

The 53rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and 66th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas will take place 29 September–3 October 2014, as established by the 153rd Session of the Executive Meeting today.

Brazil elected to the Presidency of PAHO’s Executive Committee for 2013-2014

The Secretary of Health Surveillance of Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, was elected as President of the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for 2013-2014. The delegates from Canada and Chile were elected as vice president and rapporteur, respectively, for the same period.

Executive Committee meets

Representatives of the countries that make up the Executive Committee met today in the 153rd Session.

Bolivia: The challenge will be to turn the consensus into reality

“We have big challenges, but the most important one is to put into practice all that we have agreed upon together over these past five days,”  Dr. Juan Carlos Calvimontes, Bolivia’s Minister of Health and Sports and Vice President of the 52nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), noted during the meeting’s closing session.

Resolution approved on cooperation for health development in the Americas

Health authorities approved a resolution to strengthen cooperation for health development in the Americas and adapt it to a broader concept of cooperation among countries and partnerships.

Progress in evidence-based policy-making for national immunization programs

With the goal of strengthening national capacities for evidence-based immunization decision-making, top-level health authorities of the Americas approved today a resolution calling on the Region’s countries to take note of the policy approaches described in the document Evidence-Based Policy-Making for National Immunization Programs. 

Directing Council adopts resolution to increase number of personnel trained in primary health care

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Top-level health authorities adopted today a resolution calling for Member States to increase the number of trained health personnel and ensure the availability of primary care services, particularly in remote and rural areas. The countries pledged to develop national human resources plans and policies, establish and strengthen a strategic planning and management unit for human resources for health, to promote reforms in graduate medical training to support primary health care health systems, and increase the number of seats in the medical specialties, particularly family medicine and nursing.

The final day of the 52nd Directing Council begins

Ministers of health and other top-level health authorities of the Americas are participatingin the final day of the 52nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which during this past week has dealt with a diversity of public health topics of interest to the Region, including noncommunicable diseases, universal health care coverage, and health care services access for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. 

Directing Council endorses 0.75% increase in charge assessed on procurement of public health supplies

PAHO Member States agreed to a 0.75% increase in the charge assessed on the procurement of public health supplies that the Organization undertakes for the countries.