PAHO Director heads delegation to 11th World Congress on Public Health

Río de Janeiro, August 21, 2006 (PAHO)—The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Mirta Roses, is leading a large delegation of PAHO officials and experts who will attend the 11th World Congress on Public Health and the 8th Brazilian Congress on Collective Health, to be held this week, from Aug. 22 to 25 in Río de Janeiro.

The event, organized by the World Federation of Public Health Associations and the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, brings together policy-makers and experts in governments, public health associations, international organizations, research institutes, and academia from across the globe to discuss "Public Health in a Globalized World" and the strengthening and development of public health for all.

"PAHO is present in this World Congress in Rio de Janeiro because it draws together the regional and global public health community in the framework of our hemispheric efforts to advance the public health agenda in the Americas," said Dr. Roses. "This is an opportunity for the region's health sector to gather for the continuing strengthening of networks to interchange experiences and debate. These efforts and commitments are achieving substantive progress in our countries' health indicators. However, we must recognize that there is still much work ahead, especially in the thematic areas of the unconcluded public health agenda, and the experiences that are being presented at this Congress will help us find solutions," she added.

Dr. Roses said "Brazil is a country with significant advances in public health and has achieved leadership in critical areas of public health, such as the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially the successful efforts in prevention, with an open social policy. Our Region has met and surpassed the regional goals of antiretroviral coverage by providing access to those patients who need it, and all governments of Latin America and the Caribbean are committed to provide access in their countries and are working toward that goal," she said.

Several important forums and panels are scheduled at the World Congress in Brazil, including the "PAHO bioethics, public health and Health Policy Forum" on Tuesday with Dr. Roses, Dr. Carlos Castillo-Salgado, Dr. Eliot Sorel of George Washington University, and Dr. Fernando Lolas. The forum will include field presentations by Jose Eduardo de Siqueira, Fermin Roland Schramm, Douglas Martin and Derick Aarons on bioethics theory and practice. "Bioethics has also become a significant partner in decision making processes regarding rights to health, equity in healthcare systems, social determinants of health, as well as in examining the challenges posed by the new frontiers in sciences, medical technologies and their public health consequences," said Dr. Sorel, who is co-chairing the forum with Dr. Lolas of PAHO's Bioethics program.

On Wednesday, Dr. Roses is slated to coordinate a panel on women in decision-making roles, along with the Health Minister of Nicaragua, Margarita Gurdián López, and her Bolivian counterpart, Nila Heredia. She will also make a presentation Thursday on professional education in health and the PAHO perspective on the Decade of Human Resources in Health.

PAHO's country representative in Brazil, Dr. Horácio Toro, said PAHO has been actively collaborating in the organization of the meeting, noting that the 11th World Congress on Public Health "represents a huge effort that comes at a crucial moment in the development, continuity and constant strengthening of public health programs in our Region. The information exchange, debate and meetings that will take place highlight the essential priority of health in development and quality of life." Dr. Toro said participation in the World congress, which continues through Friday, provides an opportunity for PAHO and its Member Countries to help confront the challenges of the new millennium and to provide adequate responses to the needs, demands and aspirations of all peoples."

PAHO, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the quality of life of their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO.

A complete program of the congress can be found online.