Washington DC, August 21, 2024 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) participated in the High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy, held on August 18, 2024, in Lima, Peru, as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, in a session dedicated to strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) to improve community health and immunization throughout the life course throughout APEC economies.
James Fitzgerald, Director of Health Systems and Services at PAHO/WHO, highlighted that the PHC approach is crucial to providing integrated and people-centered care that addresses multiple morbidities and health conditions specific to the context of each individual in their community. This approach not only enhances resilience through local engagement and health surveillance of diseases but also ensures efficiency and effectiveness through disease prevention and promotion, with financial protection and targeted financing for the first level of care.
Fitzgerald emphasized the significant expansion of vaccine preventable diseases since 1974, from 7 to more than 13 in 2024. He underscored that PHC provides the platform for the rapid expansion in the management and control of vaccine preventable diseases.
Additionally, he mentioned that the life course approach considers immunization programs to be public health interventions that can optimize health and be adjusted to different stages of life. This approach allows maintaining the capacity of the immune system to generate appropriate responses at different stages of life and reduces immune vulnerability that occurs with aging, preventing the development of chronic diseases. Fitzgerald remarked that maternal immunization and child health should be seen as a continuous process, where one intervention has a positive impact on the immune capacity of two people. An example of this is the Tdap vaccine administered during pregnancy, which prevents whooping cough in babies, significantly reducing the incidence of illness, hospitalization, and mortality.
"This approach reduces mortality and minimizes the burden of disease for both severe or chronic health conditions, thus showcasing the value of immunization throughout the life course," Fitzgerald said.
The socioeconomic value of adult immunization programs was presented to the High-Level meeting with evidence presented demonstrating that adult vaccines can generate up to 19 times the return on initial investment.
James Fitzgerald also mentioned the integration of mental health into PHC as an essential strategy to improve access and reduce the mental health treatment gap. Mental health promotion and prevention strategies should identify the individual, social, and structural determinants of mental health and intervene to reduce risks, build resilience, and establish supportive environments for mental health. Fitzgerald emphasized the need to strengthen cultural competence in mental health services, harness the potential of digital technology, and empower service users and their families.
PAHO's participation in the APEC event reaffirms the Organization's commitment to Primary Health Care as a strategic approach to advancing toward universal health and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to health. "Immunization throughout the life course and the integration of mental health into PHC are key components in building resilient health systems and ensuring the well-being of populations globally," Fitzgerald concluded.
