PAHO will tackle universal health, health inequities, COVID-19, and other obstacles to health and well-being.
[Washington, D.C.]— As 2021 gets underway, the Americas faces daunting health challenges. The region begins the historic task of vaccinating some 465 million people against COVID-19 while continuing the testing and treatment essential to fighting the pandemic on all fronts.
This year, PAHO will work side by side with ministries of health to tackle not only COVID-19 but also universal health, health inequities, drug resistance, noncommunicable diseases, and other obstacles to health and well-being.
PAHO will emphasize the need for countries to work together, involve entire governments not just health sectors, and make sure that no one is left behind by any health initiative. PAHO will support countries in building strong health systems and healthy populations, despite the unprecedented crisis of our second pandemic year.
Here are ways that PAHO will do this
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Build solidarity for health security
In 2021, PAHO will work with countries to improve health emergencies preparedness, in part by ensuring that nations work together.
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Speed up access to COVID-19 tests, medicines and vaccines
A top priority in 2021 will be to continue work across the four pillars of the ACT-Accelerator to achieve equitable access to safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.
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Advance health for all
In 2021, PAHO will work with partners to help countries strengthen health systems so they can respond to COVID-19, ensure delivery of essential health services, and support vaccine deployment.
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Revitalize efforts to tackle communicable diseases
The COVID-19 pandemic has set back advances toward ending polio, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and toward averting epidemics of diseases like measles and malaria.
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Combat drug resistance
Regional efforts to end infectious diseases will only succeed if medicines to treat them are effective.
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Prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions
The past year has demonstrated that people with NCDs are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and that disruptions in services negatively impact quality care for them.
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Tackling health inequities
This year, PAHO will work with countries to strengthen efforts to address health equity and tackle the structural and social determinants of health, meaning the underlying conditions and mechanisms that lead to health inequities.
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Provide regional leadership on science, data science and digital transformation
This year, PAHO will continue to monitor and evaluate the latest scientific developments and critical data around COVID-19 and other health issues.
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Act in solidarity
Throughout the fight against COVID-19, PAHO has emphasized the need to demonstrate greater solidarity between nations, institutions, communities and individuals.
