Washington D.C. 3 October (2024) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) today signed an agreement to continue to collaborate in strengthening the health of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon.
The agreement follows seven years of cooperation between the two Organizations and will focus on three main areas: Indigenous health, health and climate change, and access to health in remote areas, including through the development of situation analysis, epidemiological surveillance, and technology for health interventions.
“The renewal of this partnership between OCTA and PAHO is a very important step in strengthening cooperation in the Amazon, which is the largest and most diverse rainforest on the planet, because we have many challenges to overcome, particularly in the area of health,” Vanessa Grazziotin, Interim General Secretary of OCTA said.
“We need to create solutions that respect socio-cultural diversity and guarantee access to public health, promoting social inclusion and fighting poverty, she added.
Cooperation between the Organizations will also focuses on training indigenous community health workers in order to strengthen the capacity and retain human resources for health, particularly in border areas.
“Ensuring the health of Indigenous Peoples is a priority for PAHO,” Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director said. I welcome the renewal of this agreement with OCTA, which will enable us to continue our vital collaboration in tackling the barriers to accessing health care for all people of the Amazon region.”
To address the issues around health and climate change in the region, PAHO and OTCA will also develop activities in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
About the Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of its population. Founded in 1902, it is the world’s oldest international public health agency. It serves as the Regional Office of WHO for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American system (Organization of American States).
About the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA)
OTCA is an intergovernmental organization formed by the eight Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, which signed the Amazon Cooperation Treaty in 1978. The Organization works on political-diplomatic, strategic and technical issues in the region, building synergies between governments, multilateral organizations, cooperation agencies, civil society, social movements, the scientific community and society as a whole.
