Dr. Jarbas Barbosa was sworn in on January 30 as the new Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with the commitment to work in collaboration with Member States to end the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure that healthcare systems The region’s health will recover stronger than before. His term began on February 1, 2023.
"The countries of the Region of the Americas face a complex epidemiological situation, with the tenacious persistence of communicable diseases, the risk of outbreaks and epidemics, the increase in non-communicable diseases, the damage caused by traffic accidents and violence, and the effects of climate change," said Dr. Barbosa. "We need solid and resilient health systems that can perform all essential public health functions," he added.
Dr. Barbosa, formerly Deputy Director of PAHO, took the oath in a ceremony held at the Organization of American States (OAS). PAHO is the international organization specialized in health for the inter-American system and the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Barbosa, a national of Brazil, succeeds Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, of Dominica.
To address "historical inequalities between and within countries" and ensure recovery and preparedness after the pandemic, Dr. Barbosa’s mandate will focus on five strategic pillars:
*End the pandemic with the tools available to countries, including surveillance and vaccines.
*Apply lessons learned from the pandemic to prepare for future health emergencies.
*Guarantee rapid and equitable access to health innovations for all countries in the region.
*Build resilient national health systems based on primary health care.
*Strengthen PAHO’s capacity to help Member States.
"I will work tirelessly," said Barbosa, "so that PAHO maintains the many achievements it has achieved so far, renewing itself at every step, always building networks and functioning as a bridge to promote understanding, solidarity and innovation." .
“The Covid-19 pandemic has underlined like never before the importance of universal systems, both for public opinion and for heads of state,” said Barbosa.
"It is urgent that we transform this attention into the strengthening of health systems, in order to address persistent problems and shortcomings and to guarantee the right to health for all the people of our Region," he added.
"120 years ago, our countries set out to forge an alliance to improve health conditions and confront outbreaks and epidemics together," said Dr. Barbosa. "The dream of Pan-Americanism. The dream that solidarity among the countries of the Region of the Americas is a powerful force that can improve the lives of our people."
"Today, 120 years later, we are here, inspired by the same dreams, which are still alive and continue to inspire us," he concluded.
