As the Region emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to take the “opportunity to accelerate action to recuperate lost public health gains and increase resiliency in our health systems,” PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said during the closing of the Executive Committee, which took place from 26-29 June.

Reaffirming the Organization’s “unwavering commitment to accountability, transparency, desire for improvement and continuous learning,” Dr. Barbosa welcomed the first external evaluation of the COVID-19 response among all World Health Organization (WHO) regions and highlighted the need to improve data and information systems for health to enable the Americas to better respond to future health emergencies.

The Executive Committee of PAHO also underscored the importance of the Regional Revolving Funds and pledged to improve efficiencies and increase their visibility to augment access to vaccines and essential public health supplies.

“Now more than ever, it is important for Member States to continue to show their solidarity and Pan Americanism through support and engagement,” with the Funds, the PAHO Director said.

While the Executive Committee noted positive strides towards recovering routine vaccination coverage since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Barbosa urged governments to focus on identifying existing vaccine inequities and to develop strategies to ensure 95% coverage of all essential vaccines, as well as to prepare for the introduction of relevant new vaccines.

“Rest assured that you can count on the Secretariat to provide you with the support necessary to meet these challenges,” Dr. Barbosa added.

Discussions during the Committee also focused on the importance of strengthening country capacity to improve access to medicines, diagnostics, and other health technologies, as well as the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues and other non-communicable diseases, which were areas hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regarding the Region’s significant advances towards the elimination of communicable diseases, such as malaria, mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis, and trachoma, among others, the PAHO Director highlighted PAHO’s Elimination Initiative as the “driving force towards more integrated, effective, efficient and equitable health systems.”

After examining the tabled progress reports and final reports, Dr. Barbosa underscored that we will continue to build on our success but must remember that “much remains to be done to tackle persisting challenges.”

This week, the Executive Committee reviewed 8 progress reports, 5 final reports, and approved 2 policies, a strategy, a concept paper and the proposed program budget of PAHO for 2024-2025. These will now be presented to PAHO’s Directing Council in September this year.

The Executive Committee, which meets twice a year, is composed of nine Member States of the Organization, elected to serve for three years.  Members currently serving in the Executive Committee include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica, Suriname, the United States of America and Uruguay.