Officials Sign Agreements on Public Health, Social Security, and Sanitation and Water

Tegucigalpa, 13 September 2000 (PAHO) - Health Ministers, Social Security officials and representatives from the water and sanitation industry ended a two-day meeting with 17 agreements on topics ranging from AIDS to health sector reform.

The officials, attending the conference of the Health Sector of Central America and the Dominican Republic (RESSCAD) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, signed the agreements Wednesday on issues of equity, water and sanitation, AIDS, malaria, health and the environment, and health sector reforms. The Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. George A.O. Alleyne, attended the sessions, which were opened by Honduran President Carlos Roberto Flores.

The officials also dealt with traditional medicine, indigenous health, and water and sanitation in the 21st century. They agreed to continue seeking funds and other resources for priority issues, such as control of disease, epidemiological surveillance, cholera, food safety and natural disasters.

The conference, known as RESSCAD, was started 50 years ago in Central America by the health ministers. The group later expanded to Social Security and water and sanitation representatives. With regional integration came the inclusion of Belize and the Dominican Republic.

The Pan American Health Organization, which will celebrate 100 years in 2002, works with all the countries in the region to improve the health and well-being of all the hemisphere's people. Known as PAHO, the Pan American Health Organization also serves as the Regional Office of the Americas for the World Health Organization.