Washington, D.C., May 20, 2026 – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with the support of Global Affairs Canada, has launched the second cycle of virtual meetings for the Community of Practice to strengthen the health system's response to violence against women and girls in Latin America. The Community of Practice serves as a regional space for technical cooperation, focused on collaborative learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and the co-creation of solutions to bolster the health sector's response to violence.
The first meeting of this second cycle featured the participation of focal points from the Ministries of Health of 19 Latin American countries, alongside PAHO country offices. The initiative seeks to enhance the technical capacities of the teams responsible for policies, programs, and services related to the response to violence against women and girls, fostering the exchange of experiences, best practices, and common challenges among countries.
During the meeting, participants discussed clinical protocols for strengthening the health system's response to violence against women and girls, with a particular emphasis on comprehensive post-rape care and the quality of care provided to survivors.
The Community of Practice builds upon the process initiated by PAHO in 2024 with the regional meeting of focal points on violence against women from Latin American Ministries of Health, as well as the first cycle of meetings held in 2025.
Through this initiative, PAHO continues to strengthen technical cooperation among countries and support the development of comprehensive, survivor-centered responses that are aligned with international guidelines, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the capacity of health systems to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in the Region of the Americas.
More information
Information on the First Cycle of Meetings
Training Resources for Health Personnel to Strengthen Their Response to Violence Against Women
