From 21 to 31 January, the representative of the Ministry of Health of Chile, Dr. Ester Aylwin, participated in a technical mission to the Department of Health Emergencies (PHE) at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in Washington, DC. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the country's technical and strategic capacity in managing public health emergencies, as part of agreements reached with the Chilean Minister of Health's Cabinet.
During the mission, the structure and functioning of the PAHO/WHO Department of Health Emergencies were analyzed in detail, including its units, roles, work processes, and coordination mechanisms. They also reviewed risk assessment procedures, early warning methods, and country changes related to amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR).
The agenda included meetings with PHE experts in various areas, including infectious threat management, country preparedness for health emergencies, disaster risk reduction, resource mobilization and risk communication. Breakout sessions were also held on the PAHO/WHO organizational transformation of PHE and its impact on the health sector.
One of the key aspects addressed was the strengthening of coordination between PAHO/WHO emergency units and Member States, which has made it possible to optimize preparedness and response to future health crises. As part of the visit, meetings were held with Xaviera Molina, a professional from the PAHO/WHO representation in Chile, to continue this cooperation activity with the Organization in the country.
At the end of the mission, the conclusions and final recommendations of the Chilean Ministry of Health were presented, highlighting the importance of technical cooperation with PAHO/WHO for Chile and the countries of the Region, to continue improving the health system's capacity to respond to health emergencies. It was agreed to continue working together and to evaluate the implementation of the lessons learned from the mission.
This experience reaffirms the commitment of PAHO/WHO, through the Department of Health Emergencies, to provide prompt, coordinated, and comprehensive support to Member States in the areas of prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, surveillance, response, and early recovery in the event of any threat to human health.
