PAHO Health Priorities for the Americas
The Pan American Health and Education Foundation is privileged to have a 40-year relationship with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). Like PAHO, our hope is
health for all in the Americas.
To work towards that goal, PAHO has affirmed its health priorities in the
Agenda for the Americas 2008-2017.
- Strengthening the National Health Authority
- Tackling health determinants
- Increasing social protection and access to quality health services
- Diminishing health inequalities among countries, and inequities within them
- Reducing the risk and burden of disease
- Strengthening the management and development of health workers
- Harnessing knowledge, science, and technology
- Strengthening health security
To achieve these health priorities for the Americas, PAHO’s 16 strategic objectives are:
- Reduce the health, social and economic burden of communicable diseases
- Combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
- Prevent and reduce disease, disability and premature death from chronic noncommunicable conditions, mental disorders, violence and injuries
- Reduce morbidity and mortality and improve health during key stages of life, including pregnancy, childbirth, the neonatal period, childhood and adolescence, and improve sexual and reproductive health and promote active and healthy aging for all individuals
- Reduce the health consequences of emergencies, disasters, crises and conflicts, and minimize their social and economic impact
- Promote health and development, and prevent or reduce risk factors such as use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other psychoactive substances, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and unsafe sex, which affect health conditions
- Address the underlying social and economic determinants of health through policies and programs that enhance health equity and integrate pro-poor, gender-responsive, and human rights-based approaches
- Promote a healthier environment, intensify primary prevention and influence public policies in all sectors so as to address the root causes of environmental threats to health
- Improve nutrition, food safety and food security throughout the life-course, and in support of public health and sustainable development
- Improve the organization, management and delivery of health services
- Strengthen leadership, governance and the evidence base of health systems
- Ensure improved access, quality and use of medical products and technologies
- Ensure an available, competent, responsive and productive health workforce to improve health outcomes
- Extend social protection through fair, adequate and sustainable financing
- Provide leadership, strengthen governance and foster partnership and collaboration with member states, the united nations system and other stakeholders to fulfill the mandate of PAHO/WHO in advancing the global health agenda, as set out in WHO's Eleventh General Programme of Work, And The Health Agenda for the Americas
- Develop and sustain WHO/PAHO as a flexible, learning organization, enabling it to carry out its mandate more efficiently and effectively
PAHO has singled out for special attention five priority countries where the health institutions and infrastructure are weak and health development indicators, such as infant and maternal mortality rates, are among the highest in the Americas as well as worldwide.
- Bolivia
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
