Director de la OPS subraya la necesidad de abordar los desafíos en salud pública en América Latina y el Caribe y propone soluciones innovadoras – OPS/OMS

Cuernavaca, Mexico – March 4, 2025 (PAHO) – Within the framework of the inauguracia, he highlighted the challenges facing public health in Latin America and the Caribbean, characterized by the demographic transition, persistent inequal inequal and setbacks derived from the pandemic. Despite this, he stressed the advances achieved and presented concrete proposals to face these challenges.

During his conference entitled «The Agenda of the Priority Health in Latin America and the Caribbean», Dr. Barbosa said that «the region of the Americas is the most inequitable in the world», made the Énfasis in the marked shootings between the country, from the nales «, rich, the United States, even the most impoverished, Haiti, whose health conditions are seriously affected by the instability. and social.

In addition, he mentioned the internal unblocks within the countries, noting that «the disparities in the indicators and resulting from health, such as the mortalid of how a fundamental cassetics of our region their access to health and take measures to overcome them.»

The PAHO director also addressed the phenomenon of population aging in the region, which represents an imminent challenge for health systems. «In 2015, only 8% of the population had more than 60 years. By 2030, one in six inhabitants of the region will tend more of that age,» Indó, warns -especially the additional pressureis that Ora would tend place.

Dr. Barbosa stressed that, thanks to advances such as vaccines and the redition of infant mortality, life expectancy has shown in the region. However, he warned that it is crucial that those additional years are lived in an equitable and healthy way. «It is not just about living more years, but that they are years of quality, where people can enjoy full life and contribute to development, without the increase in disabilities.»

Pandemic impacts and public health recovery

The reconciacic OPS director that the Covid-19 pandemic deepened the pre-existing inequities in the region, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, who faced a limited access to health services and difficulties the Pulica Pulic health recommendations to health services and difficulties The Puunblat health recommendations that translate into an increase in mortality.

However, he also stressed that «the pandemic, although challenging, left us important lessons. Realmento, we are working with the countries of the region to strengthen the anti -future preparation and response capabilities.»

In this regard, he mentioned PAHO initiatives such as collaborating with countries to access the resources of the Pandemics Fund and strengthening the ability to produce vaccines in the region. «Our focus is to apply the lessons learned and ensure more equitable access to inputs and technologies that essential son for save lives in future pandemics,» he said.

Regarding postpania recovery, he highlighted the efforts made to improve vaccination rates in the region. «The Americas have stood out for having achieved the most significant progress in vaccination coverage in 2023 and 2024 compared to the cone regions, according to WHO and UNICEF data.» However, he warned that, despite progress, «important inequalities persist. In many countries, the figns of coverage masked local disparities where the most vulnerable groups continue without access to vaccines.»

Dr. Barbosa also addressed a critical issue, which demands «reflection and commitment»: maternal mortality. «During the pandemic, maternal mortality grows almost 100%. This increase reflects not only the limited health services, but also the quality of the attitude. Conform to this,» he said. To this respect, the PAHO launched the zero deaths Matnas deaths with the aim of reducing the figures significant.

Social determinants and public health polyics

Dr. Barbosa called the influence of social, economic and commercial determinants on the health of the population. «The most vulnerable son groups the most affected by factors such as obesity, lack of access to healthy foods and insecurity in their community,» he said, referring to the growth of noncommunicable cofermestades (EV), the responsibilities of Mámes of 80% of the growth of the transmissible (understand), enter.

In this sense, he emphasized the import of adopting integral public polyics that not only promotes the healthy habits, but also work in a way to improve the living conditions of the population. «The health sector must lead, but with the support of sectors such as education, security and social development,» he said.

Innovations to improve access and quality of health services

A regret of the challenges facing the region, Dr. Barbosa dismissed advances and the need to incorporate innovative tools, strategies and technologists to accelerate progress. «Writing replanting how we organize public health programs. In primary care they must be more integrated and we must locate and reach the most vulnerable people to reduce the burden of clinging» eating.

Among the key initiatives promoted by PAHO, he mentioned better attention for non -transmissible ELES in primary health care, the disease elimination initiative and the digital transformation of health systems. In addition, he highlighted the need to introduce more raspidamete and expand the use of HPV tests and PREP (pre -exposition prophylaxis) to address cervical cancer and HIV. «If we promote the rapid use of new molecular tests to identify HPV injuries that women themselves can take, we can significantly reduce deaths from cervicousterine cancer that is still responsible for more than 40,000 defunions, individuals, in the year of Eneñas, to the enasmentals. Those women with more difficulties of access to health services,» he explained.

Call to action

Dr. Barbosa concluded his intervention by calling for action: «It is essential that health professionals, students and all of them involved in health systems, reflection on how to change traditional and more vulnerable health solutions.

He also advocated challenging the future of health in the region, referring to the goals of the Sustainable Development objectives (SDGs) by 2030: «Some predict that we will not reach double goals, but co -co -co -co -co -co -cosionionalale, deomose, deosamose, deumosses, deumos, deumosses, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, deumos, You are, the salty, the salty, the salty, the salty, the one of the salsúes, the jump, the jump, the jump, the one of the salsu, the jump, the jump, the psalm of the psalms of the target of the goals of the goals of the goals of the finish lines.

Finally, the director of the OPS reaffirmed the importance that the sector the health sector as an essential engine for breaking the vicious circle between poverty and poor health: «Health has the power of contribution to break is a cycle. To the identifiers of removing the vulnerabilides, he could do this. This most equitable and healthy future in Latin America in Latin America and the Caribbean.»