WASHINGTON, CMC – The Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Monday began its 176th session here, discussing several priority topics to improve health in the Americas region.
The Committee comprises representatives from nine member states, serving staggered three-year terms. The Committee currently includes Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Uruguay, and the United States. Its deliberations this week will form the basis for proposals to be considered by all member countries during the Directing Council in September.
According to PAHO, the key agenda items include the proposed strategic plan 2026-2031, the proposed program budget 2026-2027, the policy for expanding equitable access to high-cost and high-price health technologies, as well as the Plan of Action on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) Prevention and Control 2025-2030, and the Strategy on Health and Migration 2026-2031.
“This executive committee meeting provides a valuable platform to shape the Organization’s approach to addressing challenges and, ultimately, improving health outcomes across the region,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa,
Addressing the session, Dr. Barbosa underscored the current challenges facing the region. “PAHO has been working diligently to continue protecting the Americas region. There is an urgent need to increase immunization coverage due to the high risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
He also emphasized the importance of advancing control over outbreaks such as yellow fever, H5N1, measles, and dengue, as well as improving maternal, neonatal, and child health indicators and care for noncommunicable diseases, including mental health.
One of the central topics is the proposed strategic plan for 2026-2031, which suggests a more integrated, agile, and country-priority-focused approach.
“I count on your continued leadership, expertise, and collaboration to finalize the plan, and I reiterate the Secretariat’s commitment to continue facilitating your participation and dialogue, building together, implementing lessons learned and innovations,” Dr. Barbosa said.
Another highlight is the policy for expanding equitable access to high-cost and high-priced health technologies, which aims to address challenges related to the availability of treatments such as insulin, cancer therapies, and medicines for rare diseases.
“All countries, both developing and developed, face challenges related to the prices and availability of these technologies,” the PAHO Director said.
Additionally, the Committee will address the Action Plan on Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control 2025-2030, which aims to support countries in accelerating actions to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4, seeking to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
The new Strategy on Health and Migration 2026-2031 will also be presented, oriented towards responding to health challenges arising from increasing migratory flows in the region.
Dr. Barbosa urged the Americas to work together under the principle of Pan-Americanism. “The power of Pan-Americanism is just as potent today as it was more than a century ago, and I believe it is one of the keys to building a brighter, healthier future for our region.
. “Above all, Pan-Americanism reflects our unbreakable commitment to health equity. We must, therefore, be relentless in our pursuit of universal health coverage to guarantee every person, family, and community in the Americas has an equal chance to live a healthy life,” he added.
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