La OPS, el BID y el Banco Mundial lanzan alianza para fortalecer la atención primaria de salud en las Américas – OPS/OMS

Montevideo, Uruguay, December 4, 2023 – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank (WB) today launched the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas (AxAPS ). ), a collaboration to drive investment, innovation and implementation of policies and initiatives aimed at transforming health systems in the region with a focus on primary care.

The announcement comes as countries make efforts to recover from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a decline in many health indicators and helped alleviate structural deficiencies in the health and protection sectors. . to respond effectively to a public health emergency.

“Primary health care is our path to recovering lost progress and an essential investment to address our greatest health and development challenges,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO, during the Alliance for Care Regional Forum Primary Health in the Americas, which runs until December 6 in Uruguay. “The creation of this new alliance is more necessary than ever to accelerate action in the countries through collective and concerted action,” he added.

An estimated one-third of the population in the Americas has unmet health care needs, even before the pandemic, and that percentage ranges from 55% in lower-middle-income countries to 12% in high-income ones. . . Furthermore, they face serious inequalities in the way healthcare is provided, distributed and made available to the population.

Primary health care can contribute to closing this gap by guaranteeing people comprehensive quality care for their health needs throughout their lives – not just for a specific series of diseases – and as close as possible to their usual places.

“To achieve effective and equitable primary health care, it is essential to adopt an intersectoral approach. This implies examining not only the health field, but also other sectors, coordinating efforts between different actors involved. The creation of this alliance represents a crucial step in this regard, by offering a collaborative platform that supports our countries in this task,” said Ana María Ibáñez, Vice President of Sectors and Knowledge at the IDB.

Likewise, strengthening PHC implies making the necessary investments in health personnel, infrastructure, work and education. Currently, there is a deficit of 6 million health workers in the Americas, a gap that must be closed so that the health sector can provide the care people need and be more resilient in the face of future crisis situations.

“We celebrate the launch of the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, with the purpose of promoting healthy environments, preventing diseases and saving lives. We have a sense of urgency to strengthen primary care, expanding access, quality, equity, efficiency and resilience of the health system. Political commitment and the implementation of State policies are essential for the impact and benefit of people, our main common objective,” highlighted Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Bank.

The countries of the world, including those in the Americas region, have committed to renew and expand primary health care as the cornerstone of a sustainable health system that allows expanding coverage and guaranteeing universal access to health, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health and health security.

The new alliance between PAHO, the IDB and the World Bank can act as a catalyst to drive the necessary changes. This partnership will collectively support the development of national PHC investment plans, provide guidance to countries to strengthen the resilience and capacity of their health systems, and cooperate to design and implement evidence-based interventions, tailored to specific contexts and challenges. . .

The joint efforts of the three organizations will also seek to promote innovation to accelerate actions and guarantee the right to health, including digital transformation – such as telehealth to better reach underserved areas – and new medicines and vaccines.

Note to editors

Primary health care (PHC) is a whole-of-society approach to health that aims to maximize the level and distribution of health and well-being services through three components: a) integrated and focused health services in primary care and essential public health functions; b) multisectoral policy and action; and c) the capacity for action and decision of people and communities.

To achieve universal access to health, it is essential to have health systems built on the basis of primary health care.

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About PAHO: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), established in 1902, is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and quality of life of the people of the Americas. It also serves as the regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).

About the IDB: The Inter-American Development Bank’s mission is to improve lives. Founded in 1959, the IDB is one of the main sources of long-term financing for the economic, social and institutional development of Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research projects and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private clients throughout the region. Access our virtual tour.

About the World Bank: The World Bank has a bold vision: to create a world without poverty on a liveable planet. The World Bank provides financing, advice and innovative solutions that improve living conditions by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth and addressing the most pressing global development challenges. The World Bank is one of the main sources of financing and knowledge for developing countries. It is made up of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), an international development cooperative owned by 189 member countries, and the International Development Association (IDA), which provides grants and loans without interest or low interest to combat poverty. poverty. extremes in the 75 poorest and most vulnerable countries in the world. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

press contacts

OPS
In Washington: Luciana Viegas, Sebastián Oliel, Ashley Baldwin: mediateam@paho.org
In Uruguay: Analia Oxandabarat: oxandaba@paho.org

TENDER
In Washington: María Soledad Planes: mplanes@iadb.org

world Bank
In Washington: Yuri Szabo Yamashita, yszaboyamashita@worldbank.org
In Uruguay: Valeria Bolla, vbolla@worldbank.org