Photo: Panamá 1913

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity," said Albert Einstein.

At the dawn of the 20th century, plague, malaria, and yellow fever killed tens of thousands, threatening the future of such ambitious projects as the Panama Canal. Nonetheless optimism prevailed and drew the Americas together to meet new challenges.  In 1902, recognizing that international efforts play a crucial role in the battle against disease, the International Sanitary Office was created, that has become the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, today PAHO's secretariat in Washington, D.C.