Bulletin Health Systems and Services - PAHO - May 2022

PAHO Director urges greater investments in primary care to achieve universal health

Achieving universal health requires greater investments in primary health care, financial mechanisms that guarantee access to care, reduce out-of-pocket health spending to almost zero, and build a skilled workforce, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne said.

The Americas has a shortfall of 600,000 health professionals, affecting access to health in rural and underserved areas

PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne, said that the deficit in the health workforce in the Americas reaches 600,000 professionals, something that affects access to care, especially for those in rural and underserved areas of the region. 

Health authorities of the Americas discuss their response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the 75th World Health Assembly

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a principal focus of interventions by the highest health authorities of the Region of the Americas at the 75th World Health Assembly, which ran until May 28 in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme Health for Peace, peace for health.

PAHO presents advances and new initiatives of the Regional Platform to advance the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and other Health Technologies in the Americas

PAHO has announced advances and new initiatives of the Regional Platform to Advance the Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Health Technologies in the Americas. The announcement came during a webinar on strengthening production capacities to improve access to vaccines and other health technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

PAHO calls on countries to collectively strengthen the nursing workforce

In celebration of International Nurses Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) urged countries to collectively strengthen the nursing workforce through sustainable investment in education, jobs, leadership, professional regulation, and working conditions.

PAHO launches new information platform on health and migration in the Americas

PAHO launched the Information Platform on Health and Migration in the Americas, a new initiative to help countries safeguard the right to health of migrants in the region. The Americas currently faces one of the largest situations of human displacement in the world, with the number of migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean more than doubling since 2005 to 15 million in 2022, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  

Launch of the Special Supplement to the BMJ series on social innovation in health

With PAHO support and participation, the special supplement of BMJ innovations was launched, which brings together a selection of works that study social innovations in health that are examples of cases that have had a significant impact on the health outcomes of communities.

PAHO launches Introductory Course on Assistive Technology in the Americas

PAHO launched the Introductory Course on Assistive Technology in the Americas in a webinar attended by more than 130 people from 22 countries. The objective of the course is to increase knowledge of assistive technology to promote its inclusion in the regional agenda and improve access to quality and affordable assistive services and products for the people who need them most.