Coverage of the 56th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization

The 56th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) ended today following a week of discussions about health priorities in the Americas. During the meeting, new plans of action were approved to reduce the shortage of health personnel; to strengthen measures to prevent vector-transmitted diseases; to improve the health of women, children and adolescents across their life course; and to reduce by 30% the number of cases and deaths due to cervical cancer in the Americas by 2030.

Ministers of health from throughout the Americas have endorsed a series of actions aimed at ending preventable deaths among women, children and adolescents; ensuring their physical and mental health and well-being across their life course; and expanding enabling environments, so that no one is left behind.

Countries in the Region of the Americas have made considerable progress in bioethics since 2012, but recent health emergencies, particularly the 2016 Zika virus outbreak, have highlighted the need to continue strengthening bioethics, including the Region’s capacity to respond ethically to emergencies.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has inaugurated a photo exhibition and accompanying book to highlight health progress in the region, particularly in the area of public health.

Back in 1978, when countries around the world recognized primary health care as the key to “health for all” at Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, average life expectancy in the Americas was 67 years. Forty years later, a baby born in the Americas can today expect to live 10 years longer, that is, to age 77.

Industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFAs) have been conclusively linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the Americas Region. Policies must be developed to eliminate trans-fatty acids in processed and ultra-processed food to protect public health, warned experts from the Region.