High-level Dialogue on Governance and Financing of Long-Term Care in the Americas: Building Sustainable Systems for Aging Societies

Background

The Americas are undergoing an unprecedented demographic transformation, with population aging accompanied by an increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and a growing need for long-term care. While countries across the Region provide different types of long-term care services and support, most continue to rely heavily on family and informal care arrangements. This places a significant burden on families, particularly women, and highlights gaps in governance, financing, access, quality, sustainability, and the protection of the rights of people who require care and their caregivers.

In response to this scenario, Member States of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) adopted the Regional Policy on Long-Term Care 2025–2034, which provides a framework for strengthening long-term care systems across the Region. Recent work by PAHO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) highlights the need to advance simultaneously in shared governance, intersectoral coordination, and sustainable financing mechanisms.

This webinar, organized by PAHO in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will provide a space for high-level regional policy dialogue on the importance of strengthening governance and sustainable financing for long-term care as a strategic component of the response to population aging in the Americas. The discussion will bring together key stakeholders to exchange experiences and explore opportunities to advance equitable, sustainable, and quality long-term care systems across the Region.