PAHO Director's Annual Report Highlights Progress In Health Security, Disease Elimination, And Primary Health Care

(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global) WASHINGTON, USA, (PAHO) – Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr Jarbas Barbosa, presented his Annual Report Monday at the opening of the 62nd Directing Council, highlighting major progress in health security, disease elimination, primary health care, and digital health-despite the many challenges faced over the past year.

“This report shows how collective action can improve health and well-being across our region,” said Dr Barbosa.“Today, preparedness and resilience are essential pillars of public health.”

Covering the period from July 2024 to June 2025, the report captures key regional efforts to improve health and well-being, strengthen health systems, and enhance emergency response capacity, building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency response and key achievements

Over the past year, PAHO responded to more than 38 health emergencies, including dengue epidemics, mpox, and avian influenza, as well as natural disasters such as hurricane Beryl. The Organisation also delivered 25 tons of medical supplies to 23 countries and territories, including 14.5 tons to Haiti as part of its response to cholera and the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“In the face of a record dengue epidemic, the reemergence of measles, and the spread of avian influenza, PAHO stood firmly with countries to support a rapid response,” Dr Barbosa emphasised.

PAHO's epidemic intelligence efforts-a cornerstone of health security-detected over 2.7 million pieces of information on potential public health events, generating more than 1,800 critical intelligence reports and over 1,900 early warnings to address threats such as H5N1, Oropouche virus, and yellow fever.

Under the Disease Elimination Initiative, the region regained its measles-free status, with Brazil reverified in 2024. However, outbreaks in several countries now threaten to reverse this progress.

Additional major achievements included: Suriname becoming the first Amazonian country to be certified malaria-free in June 2025; Brazil eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem; and new requests for elimination verifications submitted by Brazil for mother-to-child HIV transmission and by Chile for leprosy.

Primary health care, NCDs, and digital health

PAHO's Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) initiative, launched in 2023, expanded rapidly, with the HEARTS initiative now implemented in more than 7,000 primary health care centers across 26 countries.

Through the Alliance for Primary Health Care, and in collaboration with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Chile, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador reached agreements to invest in integrated health services. In El Salvador, for example, a US$120 million project will expand access to quality primary care.

PAHO also advanced digital health through the Pan American Highway for Digital Health and its All-in-One Telehealth Platform, bringing essential services to underserved areas and incorporating tools like public health readiness assessments for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Innovation, regional production, and the future health workforce

PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds supported the procurement of 159 million vaccine doses, nine million diagnostic tests, and 3.5 million treatment courses. The region also moved closer to self-sufficiency in health technologies, with notable developments such as Argentina's production of the PCV20 pneumococcal vaccine and mRNA vaccine advancements in both Argentina and Brazil.

The High-Cost Medicines Initiative was launched to improve access to treatments for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rare diseases.

Looking ahead, Dr Barbosa warned of a projected shortfall of 600,000 health professionals by 2030. To help address this, more than one million new users accessed the Virtual Campus for Public Health, PAHO's online learning platform.

Institutional transformation and cooperation

The PAHO Forward institutional transformation initiative modernised internal operations, generating over US$3 million in additional revenue and reducing financial risk. Progress was also made on the Shared Services Initiative, which aims to enhance administrative efficiency through modernisation and outsourcing to lower-cost locations.

During the reporting period, PAHO signed 51 cooperation agreements with new financial and non-financial partners and adopted 22 joint strategies with countries and subregions.

“This year has shown that progress in health is built through continued collaboration,” Dr Barbosa concluded.“Together, we are building a stronger Region-one that is better prepared to safeguard health now and in the future.”

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