62nd Directing Council,
77th Session of the Regional Committee of WHO for the Americas
Washington, D.C., 29 September–3 October 2025OD373 Provisional Agenda Item 3.2 Preface 1. This Annual Report of the Director presents the progress achieved by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO or the Organization) and its Member States during a critical year marking both the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Region of the Americas and the second year of PAHO’s new leadership. Spanning the period from July 2024 through June 2025, the Annual Report covers initiatives and programs to strengthen health systems, reduce health gaps, promote health security, improve preparedness for future threats, and advance toward health and well-being for all populations of the Region. The Annual Report is not an exhaustive accounting of achievements but instead focuses on important highlights of the year’s accomplishments and challenges. 2. Throughout this reporting period, PAHO has implemented the vision of its new administration: health for all through five interconnected priorities ending the pandemic and responding to its impacts; applying the lessons of the pandemic to enhance preparedness for future health emergencies; guaranteeing rapid access to health innovations; building resilient national health systems firmly grounded in primary health care to better handle both routine and emergency needs; and strengthening and modernizing PAHO’s institutional capacity, ensuring the Organization is efficient, responsive, and able to support Member States effectively. These five pillars have guided both the structure and focus of this Report, offering a cohesive framework for assessing achievements and challenges across the Region. 3. The Report also documents advances made through the implementation of key PAHO initiatives, including the Disease Elimination Initiative, Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths, and the Pan American Highway for Digital Health. Together with the longstanding Regional Revolving Funds and the Regional Platform for Innovation and Production these programs reflect a broad institutional commitment to addressing structural gaps in public health and advancing toward universal health access and coverage in the Region. 4. This Annual Report aims to provide the Governing Bodies and Member States of PAHO with a clear, compelling evaluation during a year with serious challenges, including outbreaks of disease, hurricanes, drought, wildfires, and the continuing aftereffects of COVID-19. In addition to detailing progress and setbacks under those conditions, the Annual Report seeks to inform pathways for the future. |
