Washington, D.C., 26 September 2016 (PAHO/WHO)- Minister of Health Edna Yolani Batres of Honduras was elected president of the 55th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The Directing Council is an annual gathering of ministers of health and high-level delegates to set health policies and priorities for the Americas.
Starting today through the end of the week, delegates from more than 40 countries and territories will debate strategies and plans to strengthen their health systems to confront health threats such as malaria, HIV, and Zika. They will also discuss actions to reduce disaster risks, build resilient health systems, enhance access to medicines, and protect the health of migrants, and improve neonatal and youth health.
Batres has a doctorate in medicine and surgery and a master's degree in public health. In addition to serving for 19 years in Honduras's Ministry of Health, she has also been a board member at the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Dr. Yolani Batres will succeed the Directing Council's outgoing president, Minister of Health of El Salvador Violeta Menjivar.