Washington, D.C. July 2, 2025 — A joint project by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Global Affairs Canada is transforming health outcomes for populations in situations of vulnerability in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras and Peru. Through this partnership, the six countries have seen strengthened maternal and neonatal healthcare, more effective adolescent pregnancy prevention, and enhanced support for survivors of gender-based violence.
The project, Improved Health of Women and Adolescent Girls in Situations of Vulnerability, which concluded at the end of June, aimed to improve the health outcomes of these populations by increasing access to comprehensive, equitable, gender-sensitive, rights-based and culturally appropriate services; and by fostering the empowerment and leadership of women and adolescents regarding their health and rights.
During a meeting to close the project, held in Washington D.C. on 2-3 June, PAHO Assistant Director, Dr. Rhonda Sealey Thomas, reflected on the progress made throughout the four-year project. “Investing in the health and rights of women and adolescents is not just a moral imperative, but also a fundamental pillar of sustainable development,” she said. “When women and girls thrive, entire communities flourish.”
The meeting, which brought together representatives from local governments, communities, youth, and Indigenous and Afro descendent populations from the countries involved, also highlighted the main achievements of the project. These include:
- Over 64,000 health care workers trained in maternal and neonatal care, adolescent pregnancy prevention, and response to gender-based violence:
- Over 130 protocols, regulations, and technical guidelines developed to improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services, taking into account cultural contexts;
- Information and surveillance systems strengthened, including through the implementation of PAHO’s Perinatal Information System (SIP Plus);
- Over 9,000 women and adolescents participated in training and community decision-making on sexual and reproductive rights.
"These figures reflect a collective effort," said the Ambassador of Canada to the Organization of American States, Stuart Savage, during his intervention at the closing meeting. "None of this would have been possible without the unwavering commitment of PAHO and the project stakeholders. Their tireless on-the-ground efforts and collaborative approach with health authorities have been the foundation of success."
The project, implemented between 2021 and 2024, was developed in response to persistent inequalities affecting the health of women and adolescents, particularly historically excluded groups—such as Indigenous populations, Afro-descendants, low-income individuals, or those living in rural areas—who continue to face higher burdens of disease, mortality, and multiple barriers to accessing health services.
It is expected that other countries of the Region will also benefit from the lessons learned during the project, in order to strengthen the design, implementation and monitoring of integrated interventions to address sexual, reproductive, and maternal health for women and adolescents among vulnerable population groups.
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