Washington, D.C., 3 2024 – During the 61st Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), health ministers approved a new strategy today to improve access, quality, and safety of integrated emergency, critical, and operative care (IECO) in the Region of the Americas.
“Integrated emergency, critical, and operative care services are an integral part of the primary health care approach, an essential strategy for strengthening health systems, meeting national and global health goals,” James Fitzgerald, Director of Health Systems and Services at PAHO, said.
The new Strategy on Integrated Emergency, Critical and Operative Care 2025–2030 is designed to strengthen clinical management and emergency responsiveness, ensuring universal access to these services, with financial protection.
Integrated emergency, critical, and operative care services are essential and require consistent availability, particularly in critical situations. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and other emergencies such as natural disasters, have underscored the need for health systems to respond rapidly to emergent health challenges. A resilient and flexible IECO care infrastructure helps ensure uninterrupted service and effective emergency responses, supporting the continuity and efficiency of essential health services under challenging circumstances, including those associated with climate change.
“It is vital to optimize the efficiency of IECO care delivery to avoid potentially harmful delays in treatment”, Fitzgerald said.
Among the lines of action, the strategy proposes enhancing the operational efficiency of IECO within integrated health service networks, promoting integrated clinical management and quality of these services, and strengthening the capacity of systems to provide emergency care. This requires the adoption of digital health technologies, specialized training for health personnel, and the implementation of protocols to ensure quality care and an adequate response to patient needs.
The success of the strategy will largely depend on securing sustainable funding, ensuring effective governance, and fostering greater political commitment and resource allocation to establish a resilient, equitable, and efficient framework for surgical, critical, and emergency care.
This strategy aligns with PAHO’s mission to expand access to comprehensive, high-quality care throughout the life course, advancing towards the achievement of universal access to health and universal health coverage.
