HISTORY AND STRUCTURE OF THE PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION | |
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» Preamble |
PREAMBLE:The Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB) is the executive arm of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); it simultaneously serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. ORIGIN:The Pan American Sanitary Bureau originated in a resolution of the Second International Conference of American States (Mexico, January 1902) that recommended that "a general convention of representatives of the health organizations of the different American republics" be convened. That convention met in Washington, D.C., on 2-4 December 1902 and established a permanent directing council—the International Sanitary Bureau—which was the predecessor of the current Pan American Health Organization. The Fifth International Conference of American States (Santiago, Chile, 25 March-3 May 1923) changed the name of the International Sanitary Conferences and of the International Sanitary Bureau to Pan American Sanitary Conferences and Pan American Sanitary Bureau, respectively. In 1924, the Pan American Sanitary Code, signed in Havana and ratified by the governments of the 21 American republics, assigned broader functions and responsibilities to the Bureau as the central coordinating agency for international health activities in the Americas. The XII Pan American Sanitary Conference (Caracas, 1947) adopted a reorganization plan whereby the Bureau became the executive agency of the Pan American Sanitary Organization, whose Constitution was officially approved by the Directing Council at its first meeting in Buenos Aires later that year. In 1949, the Pan American Sanitary Organization and the World Health Organization agreed that the Pan American Sanitary Bureau would serve as the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for the Americas. In 1950, the Pan American Sanitary Organization was recognized as a fully autonomous and specialized inter-American organization. Thus, the Organization became a component of both the United Nations and the inter-American systems. The XV Pan American Sanitary Conference (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1958) changed the name of the Pan American Sanitary Organization to the Pan American Health Organization. The name of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau remained unchanged. FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSES:The fundamental purposes of the Pan American Health Organization are to promote and coordinate the efforts of the countries of the Region of the Americas to combat disease, lengthen life, and promote the physical and mental health of their people. STRUCTURE: GOVERNING BODIESThe Pan American Health Organization comprises the following: The Pan American Sanitary Conference—the supreme governing body in which each Member Government is represented—meets every five years, defines the Organization's general policies, serves as a forum on public health matters, and elects the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau. From 1986 on, the Conference approved PAHO's strategic orientations and program priorities for the coming quadrennium. The Directing Council—consisting of one representative of each Member Government—meets once a year and acts on behalf of the Conference in years when that body does not meet. It reviews and approves the Organization's program and budget. The Executive Committee—composed of representatives of nine Member Governments elected by the Conference or the Council for staggered three-year terms—meets twice yearly to consider technical and administrative matters, including the program and budget, and submits its recommendations to the Conference or Council. The Subcommittee on Planning and Programming of the Executive Committee was reorganized in 1984 to enhance the participation of the governments in planning the Organization's activities. It is made up of delegates from seven countries, meets twice yearly, and reports directly to the Executive Committee. The Pan American Sanitary Bureau—headed by the Director—acts as the Executive Secretariat and carries out the directives of the Governing Bodies. BUDGET:The Organization has a biennial budget made up of quotas from Member Governments of the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization allocation for the Regional Office of the Americas, and extrabudgetary funds. MEMBER GOVERNMENTS:
PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS:
ASSOCIATE MEMBER:
OBSERVERS:
PAHO/WHO COUNTRY OFFICES:
HEADQUARTERS:
PAHO/WHO REGIONAL AND SUBREGIONAL CENTERS, INSTITUTES, AND PROGRAMS:
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The Pan American Health Organization Promoting Health in the Americas |
