Expanding Quality NCD Services in the Community, from an Equity Perspective.
In 2023, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched the Better Care for NCDs Initiative (2023–2030), with the goal of accelerating the integration of noncommunicable disease (NCD) services into Primary Health Care (PHC). The initiative strengthens planning, implementation, and monitoring of comprehensive NCD services, ensuring equitable access, improving diagnosis and treatment, and enhancing data management across the Region.
Among its six strategic lines, line two promotes expanding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of NCDs, especially for remote and underserved populations. This approach relies on community engagement, partnerships with NGOs, and local actors to advance health literacy, education, and healthy lifestyles. Line three supports the use of evidence-based guidelines and clinical pathways to improve the quality and continuity of care within PHC.
To advance these goals, strengthening the capacities of interprofessional health teams is essential. What makes this new training offer distinctive is its modular package of thematic webinars, designed as a certifiable pathway. Rather than isolated sessions, the webinars are organized as a series that combines accessible, practice-oriented content with recognition of learning achievements, providing participants with both updated knowledge and formal certification.broad participation, the exchange of experiences, and the strengthening of technical capacities, in line with regional priorities for the implementation of the Initiative.
Goals:
- Expand access to short, contextualized training proposals for interprofessional PHC teams.
- Provide training and reflection opportunities on key topics related to addressing NCDs from a PHC perspective and the social determinants of health.
- Contribute to the implementation of the Better Care for NCDs Initiative by developing capacities aligned with its priorities and strategic directions.
- Promote interprofessional and community work as a cornerstone of continuous improvement in health services..
Duration of each session: 90 minutes.
Total cycle duration: The seminars will be held from September to December 2025 and will be announced 15 days in advance through PAHO's social media channels and to the emails of those registered for the series.
Assessment and Certification: Each seminar will include an evaluation through a multiple-choice questionnaire, problem-based multiple-choice situations, or surveys. A specific bibliography will be provided for each session. Completion of all five evaluations will be mandatory in order to qualify for the final certification.
Participants who attend all five seminars and successfully complete the assessments will receive a Certificate of Completion of the 10-hour CVSP Seminar Program. The certificate will indicate the total duration of the sessions, the bibliographical references, and the assessment activities undertaken.