Washington, D.C., March 25, 2025 – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is launching a new Webinar Series on Primary Health Care (PHC), designed as a regional platform for exchange and learning to strengthen PHC in the Americas.
The first webinar in this series, scheduled for April 15, will feature the regional report Implementation of the Essential Public Health Functions in the Americas: Evaluation and Strengthening of Capacities. This document compiles the experiences of 14 countries in assessing and enhancing EPHF, providing a detailed diagnosis of the current situation and strategic recommendations to transform health systems in the region.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO/WHO, will deliver the opening and welcome remarks, emphasizing the critical role of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) in strengthening health systems across the Americas.
The event will include a panel of experts from PAHO/WHO and representatives from countries that have led these processes. Discussions will focus on key findings from these assessments and strategies to enhance health system capacity through EPHF.
The 2025 webinar series seeks to build on the achievements of the 2024 Webinar series on PHC with a territorial perspective, which engaged over 4,300 participants from 58 countries and territories across six sessions. These discussions covered critical topics such as service quality, patient safety, PHC financing, and strengthening EPHF in the Caribbean, featuring contributions from more than 30 specialists and regional leaders.
Throughout the year, the webinars will address key topics such as: assessing and strengthening capacities for EPHF implementation in the Americas; progress toward universal health, with a focus on addressing unmet health needs, coverage gaps, and financial protection through PHC; PHC organization and policies in South America; regulation of health system financing and service provision; and integrated health service networks as a model for system integration and performance.
These webinars are intended for policymakers, ministry of health representatives, health sector leaders, public health professionals, and other stakeholders committed to strengthening health systems.
More information and agenda for the first webinar here
Download the regional report here
