During the opening speech of the 50th PAHO Directing Council, Kei Kawabata, Social Sector Manager at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), indicated that the problems of malnutrition in poor and marginalized countries raise the mortality rates.

She further noted that virus-induced diseases such as malaria and HIV are related to lifestyle in those regions.

She stressed that now more than ever it is important to work with PAHO because of the essential role it plays in the development of public health policies, in addition to continue creating alliances to prevent disease.