Panama Metropolis, March 17, 2023 (PAHO) – In his first nation go to since taking workplace, the Director of the Pan American Well being Group (PAHO), Jarbas Barbosa, met with the President of Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, and different nationwide authorities to advance well being priorities of regional significance.  

Throughout the assembly, President Cortizo Cohen and the PAHO Director mentioned the necessity to strengthen regional manufacturing capacities for medicines and well being applied sciences, the digital transformation of well being programs and actions to mitigate the well being impression of local weather change, amongst different subjects.  

“Panama is a key PAHO Member State and strategic companion for the area,” Dr. Barbosa stated, highlighting the nation’s management within the combat in opposition to non-communicable illness (NCDs). “Panama’s insurance policies to cut back tobacco, implement the HEARTS initiative for the administration of cardiovascular ailments and efforts to enhance front-package labeling can serve for instance to different nations,” the Director stated.  

President Cortizo Cohen thanked the PAHO Director for the “glorious relationship” between Panama and PAHO and recommended the Group’s very important assist to the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. He additionally highlighted PAHO’s assist within the digital transformation of Panama’s well being system and underscored Panama’s strategic and logistical capacities for the distribution and doable future manufacturing of medicines within the area.  

Throughout the assembly, the President and the Director additionally mentioned key classes from the pandemic, which delivered to the fore the necessity for extra equitable entry to well being provides, medicines and vaccines amongst nations.  

The PAHO Director emphasised the significance of lively regional participation within the Worldwide Negotiating Physique (INB) for the brand new pandemic instrument, which might be put ahead for adoption by World Well being Group (WHO) Member States in 2024. “Now we have a novel window of alternative to incorporate equitable entry into a global settlement,” Dr. Barbosa stated. “If we don’t use it, we could also be in the identical devastating scenario within the subsequent well being emergency, the place market guidelines stop entry to life-saving vaccines to smaller or much less economically highly effective nations.”  

Throughout his go to to Panama, Dr. Barbosa additionally met with different nationwide authorities and companions. On Thursday, he met with Vice Minister of Overseas Affairs Vladimir Franco, the place they mentioned assist to the well being of migrants, amongst different subjects.   

The PAHO Director additionally met with Dr. Luis Francisco Sucre, Panama’s Minister of Well being, to debate subjects comparable to advancing telehealth, strengthening main care to additionally cowl NCD’s, and response to infectious illness outbreaks, comparable to malaria.  “PAHO will proceed to work intently with Panama to advance these areas,” Dr. Barbosa stated.   

The PAHO Director visited the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud – ICGES), the place he met Director Juan Miguel Pascale. He thanked him for the institute’s help to Central American nations in monitoring COVID-19 variants through the pandemic, including that the hopes to boost collaboration to strengthen regional surveillance capability for different pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. 

Dr. Barbosa’s go to additionally included discussions with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Panama, Ana Patricia Graça, and with representatives of a number of UN businesses with which PAHO collaborates intently on the bottom, together with UNAIDS, FAO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and OCHA. “Well being is essential to growth,” the Director stated, underscoring that PAHO will proceed working with UN companions to “search progressive options to cut back inequalities and advance the Sustainable Growth Objective.”  

Panama grew to become a PAHO Member State in 1947, and shortly after signed a cooperation settlement for technical help to assist nationwide public well being tasks.