Brussels, Belgium/Madrid, Spain, 17 October 2024 (PAHO) – Strengthening collaboration on issues such as emergency prevention, preparedness and response, cervical cancer elimination, and regional production of medicines and health technologies, was the main focus of PAHO Director, Dr Jarbas Barbosa’s official visits to Belgium and Spain this week.
From 14-15, October, Dr. Barbosa met with high-level officials from the European Union, including Members of European Parliament, Laurent Muschel, Acting Director-General of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, and Feliz Fernandez-Shaw, Director for Latin America, the Caribbean and relations with all Overseas Countries and Territories at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).
Dr. Barbosa highlighted PAHO’s work for over a century in emergency prevention, preparedness and response, and the importance of regional collaboration in strengthening the organization’s support to countries.
“The Region of the Americas has been disproportionately impacted by epidemics and pandemics in regent decades, with devastating consequences for health systems, economies, and communities,” the PAHO Director said.
“There are significant opportunities to strengthen our collaboration around these common challenges and we appreciate the valuable collaboration of the European Union, which has been key to advancing regional health priorities,” including the COVID-19 pandemic response, climate resilient health systems, combating antimicrobial resistance, ensuring the health of migrants, and strengthening regulatory capacities and regional production, among other priority topics.
Dr. Barbosa continued his official visit to Spain from 16-17 October. While in Madrid, the PAHO Director met with Dr. Monica Garcia, Minister of Health of Spain, as well as a number of other high-level officials from the country’s health sector.
During these discussions, Dr. Barbosa thanked Spain for its continued collaboration with the Organization, particularly in the areas of cervical cancer elimination and migrants’ access to health services in the Darien. Potential areas of collaboration, such as strengthening of local manufacturing capacity of medicines and other health technologies, were also discussed.
“Spain and PAHO share important values, including universal access to health and leaving no one behind,” Dr. Barbosa said. “We look forward to our collaboration so that the Americas becomes the first region in the world to eliminate a cancer, as well as in ensuring the right to health for migrants, displaced persons and Indigenous populations, which are all priority areas.”
His visit to Spain also included meetings with Anton Leis, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and Maria Jesus Lamas, Director of the Spanish Agency for Medicine and Health Products. The PAHO Director underscored the importance of regional cooperation in strengthening regulatory authorities of Latin America and the Caribbean, which is key to promoting local manufacturing and ensuring better preparedness for pandemics and other health emergencies.
“We know what we have to do to address the region’s most pressing health issues, and this includes implementing policies to promote inclusive economic growth, investing in social infrastructure and quality health education, and strengthening health care systems based on primary health care,” Dr. Barbosa said.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with our European partners to learn from their expertise and help make this a reality.”
