Everyday Heroes: Health Workers

"Health workers, who have saved so many lives and will continue to do so, have accustomed us to so many deeds of valor that they have managed to make their extraordinary contributions commonplace. So much so that we run the risk of not thanking them enough for the work that they do every day."


                        

    HUMAN SECURITY: A Public Health Perspective

    El Paso, Texas, USA. June 5, 2009.- Dr. Mirta Roses' presentation at the LXVII Annual Meeting USMBHA /AFMES (Human Security: A New Border Response).
    Human security means protecting the vital freedoms. It means protecting the people exposition to threats and to certain situations, strengthening its strength and aspirations. It also means creating systems that facilitate for people the basic elements of survival, dignity, and life.
    The threats to the safety of the people in general, to women, to communities, to the ethnic groups, were not sufficiently assessed as potential threats to the safety in general, neither the poverty, the spread of diseases, the destruction of the environment, the lack of access to water, the maternal health, the not to have a permanent work. Until the end of the cold war the states and governments, had not considered priority the daily insecurities that have to support common people, because the greatest threats were seen outside the borders within the framework of the confrontation among the large potencies.
    Hunan security means the equitable access to education, work, and health, as well as the respect of the human rights, as essential components of the security, this without denying the obligation of guaranteeing national security by of the governments.
    Presentation »  

... more news, statements and releases »

  Presentations   Speeches   On the Media
HUMAN SECURITY: A Public Health Perspective

El Paso, Texas, USA. June 5, 2009.- Dr. Mirta Roses' presentation at the LXVII Annual Meeting USMBHA /AFMES (Human Security: A New Border Response).
Human security means protecting the vital freedoms. It means protecting the people exposition to threats and to certain situations, strengthening its strength and aspirations. It also means creating systems that facilitate for people the basic elements of survival, dignity, and life.
The threats to the safety of the people in general, to women, to communities, to the ethnic groups, were not sufficiently assessed as potential threats to the safety in general, neither the poverty, the spread of diseases, the destruction of the environment, the lack of access to water, the maternal health, the not to have a permanent work. Until the end of the cold war the states and governments, had not considered priority the daily insecurities that have to support common people, because the greatest threats were seen outside the borders within the framework of the confrontation among the large potencies.
Hunan security means the equitable access to education, work, and health, as well as the respect of the human rights, as essential components of the security, this without denying the obligation of guaranteeing national security by of the governments.
Presentation »   More information

Report - State of the Region 2008 - for Central America and Dominican Republic

Washington, DC. PAHO HQ. Febrero 19, 2009.- Central America needs national and regional innovative responses. Despite profound changes in the last 20 years CENTRAL AMERICA faces today a new and more complex international situation.


[only in Spanish]
Más información »
"Informe Estado de la Región (2008)"
Estado de la Nación_Website
Presentación del Sr. Miguel Gutiérrez   More information

Cuba as World Leader in to medical attention according to PAHO

Cuba. Visita Oficial. Julio 28-31, 2008.- PAHO Director visited several health centers during her official visit to Cuba and pointed out that Cuba offers a wide variety of activities and services related to health, and is a founding member of PAHO, which was established 106 years ago, she also talked to the press about the work carried out by Cuba with respect to its aging population and said tha Cuba has met the needs identified several decades ago to train more healthcare professionals and provide more clinics in towns.
Media Release
[Spanish version]:Presentación de la Directora »
Resumen visita oficial de la Directora y cancelación sello postal en saludo al 60 aniversario de la OMS y el 30 aniversario de Alma Ata.
Newsletter »  More information

Pan American Alliance for Nutrition and Development

Washington, D.C. Julio 25, 2008.- Top United Nations experts on Latin America and the Caribbean agreed on the establishment of the Pan American Alliance for Nutrition and Development.
PAHO Director Roses noted that, despite overall improvements in nutritional status at the aggregate level in Latin America and the Caribbean, 52 million people in the region are still undernourished, and 9 million children under 5 are chronically malnourished. The Pan American Alliance for Nutrition and Development would promote better nutrition not just through food production and distribution but with a broad range of actions, ranging from safer cooking stoves and safe water to urban agriculture and sustainable use of natural resources.
PAHO Press Release: U.N. Experts Warn on New Threats to MDG Progress in Latin America and the Caribbean
[Spanish version: Director's Presentation
Director's Newsletter   More information

Director's Presentation to the OAS Permanent Council

Washington, D.C. June 19, 2008.- Briefing Session to the Permanent Ambassadors to the Organization of American States and others Estate Member’s Ambassadors.
Presentation
142nd Session of the Executive Committee Opens with Important Goals for the Health of the Peoples of the Americas   More information

Primary Health Care for the New Century

Geneva Health Forum 2008. 25 May 2008.- 'In the spirit of this Forum, and to successfully address the health determinants and affirm the right to health, I invite you to join me in building a multi-stakeholder coalition of interested parties, to ensure that a health system based on Primary Health Care represents a feasible and politically appealing policy option.' Speech delivered by Dr. Roses, PAHO's Director in the opening ceremony of the Health Forum 2008 that took place during the celebration of the 61st World Health Assembly.  More information

PAHO and UNICEF Working Together to support LAC Countries

PAHO Press Release. Washington, D.C., April 25, 2008.- Top officials and technical experts from UNICEF visited the Pan American Health Organization to discuss areas of joint collaboration including water and sanitation, nutrition, social support for mothers and children, work in health emergencies and risk communications focusing on pregnant women, children and adolescents.
Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Director of PAHO and Dr. Nils Kastberg, Director of the UNICEF Regional Office shared the moral imperatives of helping excluded populations to address the unfinished agenda and accelerate progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Read more »
OPS XXI en acción. Dr. Mirta Roses' presentation at the opening of the meeting. [Spanish version]
PAHO - UNICEF: Comprometidos por la Salud
Poem written by Dr. Nils Kastberg, UNICEF's Director on the occasion of Dr. Roses inauguration ceremony on February 1st, 2008. [Spanish version]   More information

Globalization and injuries in the context of the Americas

Merida. Mexico. Marzo 15, 2008.- Director's presentation during the celebration of the 9th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion at the panel "Globalization and Injury", which had the participation of many ministers of health from the Americas.
Presentation »

See also: Declaracíón Ministerial sobre Prevención de Violencia y Lesiones en las Américas [Spanish version]  More information

Report of the Panamerican Health Organization to the permanent council of the OAS

Washington, D.C. March 12, 2008.- Dr. Roses delivered her presentation to OAS Permanent Council, briefing the PAHO health achievements and challenges from the last 5 years as an specialized health agency from the inter-american system.
Director's Presentation
Director's Speech Video [Spanish version]  More information

Partnership for Health Development

Geneva, Switzerland. November 12, 2007.- "The achievement of MDG related with health, is a crucial event to sustain the achievements of others MDGs and to improve life conditions of opulations. Partnerships for Health Development (PHDs) have a major role to play in this endeavour. Indeed, a key reason for establishing such partnerships and funds stemmed from global concern about the burden of disease pandemics, and the need to accelerate action substantially if global targets were to be achieved.  
A fundamental strategy of Partnerships for Health Development has been to work in new ways to expand effective collaboration – including promoting greater participation by civil society and the private sector - and increase access to resources to serve those in need".
Dr. Roses presentation at the Plenary session on Partnerships and WHO.
Partnerships for Health Development - Background Document
Three Day Policy Dialogue Agenda  More information

More Presentations »

HUMAN SECURITY: A Public Health Perspective

El Paso, Texas, USA. June 5, 2009.- Dr. Mirta Roses' presentation at the LXVII Annual Meeting USMBHA /AFMES (Human Security: A New Border Response).
Human security means protecting the vital freedoms. It means protecting the people exposition to threats and to certain situations, strengthening its strength and aspirations. It also means creating systems that facilitate for people the basic elements of survival, dignity, and life.
The threats to the safety of the people in general, to women, to communities, to the ethnic groups, were not sufficiently assessed as potential threats to the safety in general, neither the poverty, the spread of diseases, the destruction of the environment, the lack of access to water, the maternal health, the not to have a permanent work. Until the end of the cold war the states and governments, had not considered priority the daily insecurities that have to support common people, because the greatest threats were seen outside the borders within the framework of the confrontation among the large potencies.
Hunan security means the equitable access to education, work, and health, as well as the respect of the human rights, as essential components of the security, this without denying the obligation of guaranteeing national security by of the governments.
Presentation »   More information

Seventh Vaccination Week in the Americas

April 25, 2009 - May 02, 2009.- Vaccination Week in the Americas is an unparalleled effort led by the member countries of the Pan American Health Organization to vaccinate millions of people. In 2009, the seventh Vaccination Week in the Americas will happen between the 25th of April and May 2nd. This year, Vaccination Week will emphasize vaccination of the whole family, and the immunization of health workers.
A Message from PAHO Director »
Massive Multi-Country Drive Aims to Vaccinate 30 Million People [PAHO Press Release]  More information

SAFE HOSPITALS and DISASTERS

Washington, DC. PAHO. 7 April 2009.- Director's article published in several countries in the region (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Barbados, República Dominicana, Caribbean Net News, Bolivia, Nicaragua)
When a disaster strikes, our most immediate concern is to save lives, help the injured, and restore well-being to the affected communities. This cannot be accomplished without a vital element: our hospitals. However, more than half of them--that is, over 8,000 in Latin America and the Caribbean, are located in high-risk areas. If these health facilities cease their operations because of a disaster, the repercussions will be infinitely worse. This year, therefore, World Health Day underscored the need for safe hospitals.
World Health Day 2009, PAHO  More information

AMRO takes the lead: Implementation of new WHO policy on Collaborating Centers

Washington, DC. February 2009.- With the rollout of the global electronic system known as eCC System in 2007, all WHO Regions transitioned to a paperless processing environment for (re)designations of the WHO Collaborating Centers. The mandate to do so was announced by mid 2008.
AMRO/PAHO took the lead as it kicked off 2009 in full compliance with this new policy.
This was accomplished thanks to the remarkable teamwork of all partners involved: ITT/AME and KMS/KCS, WHO development and support team for the ingenious eCC system; WHO staff at the country, regional and Headquarters in Geneva and most importantly, all the centers.  More information

Improving Public Health through the global addressing of the SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Asuncion, Paraguay. 16 February 2009.- SRMM-Subregional Managers' Meeting Andean Region and Southern Cone.
Director's Interview with IP Paraguay (Secretariat of Information and Communication for Development) during her official visit to Paraguay to participate in the PAHO's SRMM.
[only Spanish version] "... la formulación de políticas públicas que aborden el peso de los determinantes sociales para reducir las desigualdades que se encuentran en los resultados de salud de la población y también de manera importante en cómo llevar a que la salud esté integrada en todas las políticas públicas (de empleo, de inversión en infraestructura, en alfabetización universal, etc.) de modo que se pueda trabajar de manera concertada y teniendo en cuenta que el objetivo final es la calidad de vida de la población ... "
Entrevista/Interview »
PDF »  More information

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE is the solution to many and important health problems that today face ours communities

Asuncion, Paraguay. 12 February 2009.- PAHO's Director during an exchange that she held with representatives of different community organizations of the Central department in Paraguay that stated their experiences concerning the shares carried out to promote a healthier space; during the Subregional Managers' Meeting of the Andean area and Southern Cone of PAHO. [PDF Only in Spanish version]   More information

PAHO seeks 'population behavioral change' to faces DENGUE in the Region

Asuncion, Paraguay. 10 February 2009.- PAHO Director at a press conference during the PAHO Subregional Managers' Meeting of Southern Cone and Andean (SRMM).
[only in Spanish] “Creo que tenemos el conocimiento y la estrategia que funciona, pero todavía nos falta ese cambio de comportamiento. Tenemos que encontrar los caminos para hacer que la gente no entre en pánico ni alarma, ni trate de buscar al culpable afuera porque definitivamente el culpable está dentro, muchas veces, dentro de las casas”, sostuvo.
Director's Newsletter - SRMM  More information

Health Care Must NOT Replicate Social Inequalities

Washington, DC. October 20, 2008.- The renewal of primary health care (PHC) as a crucial tool for overcoming existing weaknesses ... Our region is an acknowledged leader in the fight to ensure that the integrated vision of health expressed in the primary health care strategy becomes a priority on the political agenda and in public health policy-making. We must continue this endeavor, so critical for achieving the greater goal of health for all, with all, and by all, at every level of action in health throughout the life cycle.  More information

Planning Public Health Action. A Collective Vision and Commitment to Better Health.

Annual Report from PAHO Director, 2007-2008.
Washington, D.C. September 29, 2008.- Dr. Mirta Roses Periago presents the 2007–2008 annual report on the work of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization. The report highlights the Bureau's major work in providing technical cooperation during this period within the framework of the Strategic Plans of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau.
"... strategic planning will allow us to strengthen health action, improve efficiency, increase accountability, and improve social protection and access to quality health care ..."
Director's speech » / Annual Report »   More information

Action Now: For the lives of mothers, newborns, and children

Chile. September 19, 2008.- Regional Launch of the Global Initiative.
"... There can be no delay. Every year, over 22,000 women in the Region die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, along with nearly 400,000 children under the age of 5. Worldwide, in the brief time required to read this article, four women who are pregnant or giving birth and 80 boys and girls under 5 will die ... "
PAHO-PMNCH Article »
WHO South-South cooperation for MDGs 4 and 5 »
Briefing video: Regional launching »   More information

More Speeches »

A H1N1 - An Outbreak Timeline

Science Magazine. 8 May 2009.- "I'm amazed at the capacity we have with the information and communication technologies," says epidemiologist Mirta Roses Periago, head of the Pan American Health Organization. "We used to do things with our hands and smelling and looking at the patients." During the past few weeks, she notes, scientists have rapidly shared sequences of the viruses, digital images of patient x-rays, and electron micrographs of the new H1N1.
"At this point in history, this is the best surveillance we've ever had," said Keiji Fukuda, one of WHO's assistant director generals.
Read more on Science Magazine »
PDF Article »  More information

SAFE HOSPITALS and DISASTERS

Washington, DC. PAHO. 7 April 2009.- Director's article published in several countries in the region (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Barbados, República Dominicana, Caribbean Net News, Bolivia, Nicaragua)
When a disaster strikes, our most immediate concern is to save lives, help the injured, and restore well-being to the affected communities. This cannot be accomplished without a vital element: our hospitals. However, more than half of them--that is, over 8,000 in Latin America and the Caribbean, are located in high-risk areas. If these health facilities cease their operations because of a disaster, the repercussions will be infinitely worse. This year, therefore, World Health Day underscored the need for safe hospitals.
World Health Day 2009, PAHO  More information

Improving Public Health through the global addressing of the SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Asuncion, Paraguay. 16 February 2009.- SRMM-Subregional Managers' Meeting Andean Region and Southern Cone.
Director's Interview with IP Paraguay (Secretariat of Information and Communication for Development) during her official visit to Paraguay to participate in the PAHO's SRMM.
[only Spanish version] "... la formulación de políticas públicas que aborden el peso de los determinantes sociales para reducir las desigualdades que se encuentran en los resultados de salud de la población y también de manera importante en cómo llevar a que la salud esté integrada en todas las políticas públicas (de empleo, de inversión en infraestructura, en alfabetización universal, etc.) de modo que se pueda trabajar de manera concertada y teniendo en cuenta que el objetivo final es la calidad de vida de la población ... "
Entrevista/Interview »
PDF »  More information

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE is the solution to many and important health problems that today face ours communities

Asuncion, Paraguay. 12 February 2009.- PAHO's Director during an exchange that she held with representatives of different community organizations of the Central department in Paraguay that stated their experiences concerning the shares carried out to promote a healthier space; during the Subregional Managers' Meeting of the Andean area and Southern Cone of PAHO. [PDF Only in Spanish version]   More information

PAHO seeks 'population behavioral change' to faces DENGUE in the Region

Asuncion, Paraguay. 10 February 2009.- PAHO Director at a press conference during the PAHO Subregional Managers' Meeting of Southern Cone and Andean (SRMM).
[only in Spanish] “Creo que tenemos el conocimiento y la estrategia que funciona, pero todavía nos falta ese cambio de comportamiento. Tenemos que encontrar los caminos para hacer que la gente no entre en pánico ni alarma, ni trate de buscar al culpable afuera porque definitivamente el culpable está dentro, muchas veces, dentro de las casas”, sostuvo.
Director's Newsletter - SRMM  More information

Health Care Must NOT Replicate Social Inequalities

Washington, DC. October 20, 2008.- The renewal of primary health care (PHC) as a crucial tool for overcoming existing weaknesses ... Our region is an acknowledged leader in the fight to ensure that the integrated vision of health expressed in the primary health care strategy becomes a priority on the political agenda and in public health policy-making. We must continue this endeavor, so critical for achieving the greater goal of health for all, with all, and by all, at every level of action in health throughout the life cycle.  More information

Public Health and Financial Crisis

Spain. October 17, 2008.- Radio France International Interviews Dr. Mirta Roses, PAHO Director, after the celebration of the Almaty Conference on the 30th Anniversary of Primary Health Care Declaration. "... Health for all and education for all, to construct safer and equitable societies ..."
[ Only in Spanish: ] Audio » / Interview »
Radio France Internacional note in Spanish»   More information

Global Health Inequieties

Almaty, Kazakhstan. Otober 7-8, 2008.- UN Radio Interview with Dr. Mirta Roses, PAHO Director, about the launching of The World Health Report 2008 and the 30th Anniversary of Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care and Health for All.
Audio only in Spanish »
Radio UN note in Spanish»
Director's Newsletter  More information

The effects of climate change in the human health

September 2008. CNN interviews PAHO’s Director.
In an interview with CNN, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) underlined the effects of climate change on human health, the new challenges faced by global health, the importance of access to and quality of safe water and food for human consumption, as well as the high incidence on the health of populations due to the changes caused by the variations in the climatic behavior of our planet, concluding that joint action and individual responsibility is vital to preserve the planet and human health.
Climate Health and Human Health [Only Spanish version]
Cambio Climático y Salud Humana  More information

Action Now: For the lives of mothers, newborns, and children

Chile. September 19, 2008.- Regional Launch of the Global Initiative.
"... There can be no delay. Every year, over 22,000 women in the Region die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, along with nearly 400,000 children under the age of 5. Worldwide, in the brief time required to read this article, four women who are pregnant or giving birth and 80 boys and girls under 5 will die ... "
PAHO-PMNCH Article »
WHO South-South cooperation for MDGs 4 and 5 »
Briefing video: Regional launching »   More information

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