Dr. Barbosa called for greater investment to revitalise and strengthen primary healthcare services, such as community health centres, local clinics, and other health outposts.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), stressed during a regional meeting of the Global Health Summit that innovation, collaboration, and a renewed focus on primary healthcare will be essential to close gaps in access to health care and overcome inequalities that have been painfully exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks at the Opening Plenary of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Washington, DC, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization said, “Improving global health in today’s world requires that we continue to find common ground across sectors, disciplines, and political differences.”
“Only then will we overcome persistent inequalities and build health systems that can respond to emerging threats and help us recover and rebuild from the pandemic stronger than before to achieve our goal of universal health.”
According to Dr. Barbosa, these inequalities are particularly pronounced in the Americas region, where “health remains a promise unfulfilled for so many people” despite “remarkable progress over the past decades, we need to overcome them.”
Over 80% of people in the region live in urban areas, including slums with poor access to water and sanitation, and close to one third of the population is considered to be living below the poverty line. Families are still expected to pay more than one third of their medical expenses out of pocket, according to the PAHO director. We all find this unacceptable.
He added that in order to increase and guarantee equitable access to primary healthcare, significant adjustments must be made along with the use of readily available solutions.
Dr. Barbosa called for greater investment to revitalise and strengthen primary healthcare services, such as community health centres, local clinics, and other health outposts.
He also urged countries in the Americas to take advantage of new health technologies and innovative approaches, not just as beneficiaries, but as drivers of health innovation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin America and the Caribbean depended almost entirely on other regions to produce health tools.
The PAHO Director said that expanding the region’s capacity to manufacture medicines and vaccines is essential for protecting against health threats.
He added that the region has a market to leverage new products, and that PAHO’s regional procurement mechanisms—the Revolving Fund for Vaccines and the Strategic Supply Fund—can help countries pool needs and funding to purchase health tools at affordable prices.
PAHO has been working together since its inception to protect the health of the Americas, leading to the eradication of diseases and the building of health systems. Dr. Barbosa said that PAHO’s history is proof that we can work together to keep health a priority, even in the face of global and national conflicts.
In addition to the annual World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, the World Health Summit Regional Meeting is held annually in various locations around the world, bringing regional issues to the fore.
The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2023 in Washington, DC, USA, was organised by the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH), and the Association of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI).
It brought together stakeholders from all relevant global health sectors to discuss urgent issues under the theme “Bridging the Science to Policy Gap for Global Health.”
Along with the PAHO Director, other speakers at the Opening Plenary included Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Additional Secretary Asia and Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr. Hans Kluge, Regional Director, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, and Loyce Pace, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, United States Department of Health and Human Services.