PAHO and the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases join forces to reduce childhood infectious diseases – PAHO/WHO

San José, Costa Rica, August 16, 2024 (PAHO). The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE) today signed a cooperation agreement aimed at reducing prevalent infectious diseases among children and adolescents in Latin America.

Although deaths among children under 5 years of age in Latin America and the Caribbean have decreased by 60% since 2000, infectious diseases – such as influenza and pneumonia, malaria and tuberculosis – remain one of the main causes of death in this age group. In addition to causing mortality and disability, these diseases impose significant economic and social costs on families and communities, disproportionately affecting those with limited resources and in vulnerable situations.

“This agreement will allow PAHO to provide technical and strategic guidance to strengthen health systems and address childhood infections,” said Dr. Alfonso Tenorio Gnecco, PAHO/WHO Representative in Costa Rica. “Our goal is to reduce preventable childhood deaths through a comprehensive range of interventions,” added Dr. Tenorio Gnecco, who signed the agreement on behalf of PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

PAHO and SLIPE will collaborate on projects in key areas such as vaccination, pediatric infectious diseases, arboviruses (such as dengue, zika, and chikungunya), perinatal infections, and neonatal sepsis. They will also work to strengthen surveillance systems, promote ongoing research to inform clinical practices, and implement awareness campaigns.

“The signing of this framework agreement represents a crucial step in the fight against antimicrobial resistance in the region,” said Dr. María Luisa Ávila, President of SLIPE, which has more than 1,200 members in the region. “This collaboration will strengthen our capacity to confront this growing threat, promoting joint actions and implementing strategies based on scientific evidence, essential to protect the health of our children and adolescents in Latin America.”

This renewable, five-year technical cooperation framework agreement aligns with other PAHO initiatives aimed at addressing infectious diseases and promoting the health of children and adolescents in the region, such as the Plan of Action for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health 2018-2030 and the Disease Elimination Initiative, which seeks to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030.

About the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their populations. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It acts as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the inter-American system.

About the Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE)

He Latin American Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (SLIPE)Founded in the 1980s, it emerged from an initiative of Latin American physicians specializing in pediatric infectious diseases. Its mission is to promote the development of the medical specialty in the region, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and promote scientific research in the field among Latin American countries, promoting regional and global collaborative research and continuing medical education.