Join us on Wednesday, June 3rd, and Thursday, June 4th, for the virtual event "Partnerships for Life Americas Virtual Summit: Connecting Research and Implementation for Suicide Prevention", organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the University of Toronto. This summit is dedicated to strengthening the connection between suicide prevention research and real-world implementation across Latin America and the Caribbean. Limited resources for research promotion often require suicide prevention stakeholders to develop innovative, action-oriented initiatives within their own communities and countries. However, significant gaps remain in translating research into practice and integrating practical experience back into research efforts.
This virtual summit aims to bridge these divides by creating a collaborative space for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and project-oriented stakeholders. Through dialogue, knowledge exchange, and partnership-building, the summit seeks to increase visibility, foster collaboration, and strengthen efforts to translate the standards and goals of National Suicide Prevention Strategies into effective, evidence-informed action.
How to participate
- DAY and TIME:
- June 3, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- June 3, 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- June 4, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- June 4, 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Washington, DC time or EDT) [See the bottom of this page for times in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: English and Spanish with simultaneous interpretation.
- REGISTRATION: You will access all sessions with the same Zoom link: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4_-BHHgwTje4BP3gCrlpkA#/registration
Context
This free virtual summit will be focused on strengthening suicide prevention efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean by bridging the persistent gap between research and implementation. Aligned with the World Health Organization’s strategic objectives 2: address health determinants and the root causes of ill health in key policies across sectors, and 4: improve health service coverage and financial protection to address inequity and gender inequalities, the proposal responds to the region’s limited resources for formal research and the resulting need for action-driven, locally developed interventions.
The proposed Summit aligns with PAHO’s Strategic Objectives for the 2026–2027 biennium, as set out in the PAHO Strategic Plan 2026–2031, particularly those related to strengthening primary health care–based health systems, accelerating prevention and care for mental health conditions and suicide, and advancing equity‑ and rights‑based approaches to health for all across the life course.”
While many effective implementation initiatives exist, they are often not systematically evaluated, and research outputs frequently fail to reach ground-level application. The summit aims to convene researchers, practitioners, and other suicide prevention stakeholders to showcase research and implementation-based projects, examine their alignment with National Suicide Prevention Strategies and frameworks, and foster meaningful national and international collaborations.
Objectives:
- To showcase research and implementation-based projects in suicide prevention in Latin-America and the Caribbean.
- To understand how these efforts align with internal National Suicide Prevention Strategies/Frameworks/Plans/Goals.
- To incentivize collaborations at the national and international level between researchers and implementation-based stakeholders and vice versa.
- To increase suicide prevention stakeholders’ visibility to further support collaborations with national and international policymakers.
- To present tools and skills that allow the translation of research into implementation-based projects and vice versa.
- To encourage creative thinking regarding suicide prevention initiatives and activities, acknowledge the available resources for the development of these initiatives.
Time in other cities
- 7:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver.
- 8:00 a.m. - Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San Salvador, San José (Costa Rica), Tegucigalpa.
- 9:00 a.m. - Bogotá, Kingston, Lima, Panama City, Quito,
- 10:00 a.m. - Havana, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, Washington D.C., Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, La Paz, Port of Spain, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Saint George's, Saint John's (Antigua), Santiago.
- 11:00 a.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo.
- 4:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid.
- For other cities, check the local times in the following link.