Washington, D.C., September 27, 2026 (PAHO) — On the eve of the 63rd Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Directing Council, PAHO staff, families, friends, delegates from Member States, partners and community members came together for the 2026 PAHO Walk for Health, highlighting the importance of physical activity, healthy environments and social connection.
The 2.25-mile (3.62-km) walk took participants past some of Washington's iconic monuments and brought together people of all ages, including families with young children and four-legged companions. The event offered a lively and informal start to a week that will bring health authorities from across the Americas together to discuss the Region's most pressing public health challenges.
Addressing participants before the walk, PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa acknowledged the rainy weather while underscoring the importance of staying active.
"The weather is not helping today, but we walk because it is good for our health and to celebrate the beginning of the PAHO Directing Council," he said.
Dr. Barbosa also thanked ministers of health, ambassadors, delegations and partners participating in the event. He noted that the walk coincided with an important milestone in the Organization's history.
“On this day in 1965, this building was inaugurated. So today, we are also celebrating the anniversary of this beautiful building,” he said, before officially starting the walk with a simple invitation: “Today is not a day to talk, it is a day to walk.”
The event highlighted the importance of connection and participation. From toddlers in strollers to older children walking alongside their parents, and many dogs joining the route, the walk demonstrated how physical activity can be incorporated into everyday life and shared across generations.
Regular physical activity has important benefits for physical and mental health. Walking can help strengthen the heart, improve circulation and reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. It can also support mental well-being by helping to reduce stress, improve mood and concentration, and contribute to better sleep.
This year's Walk for Health also formed part of Wellness Week 2026, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Adopted in 1986, the Charter recognizes that health is created in the settings where people live, work and interact, and that achieving better health requires supportive environments, strong communities and public policies that make healthy choices easier.
The event also provided an opportunity to recognize the history of PAHO's headquarters building, inaugurated on September 27, 1965. Designed by renowned Uruguayan architect Román Fresnedo Siri, the landmark has served as a hub for regional health cooperation for more than six decades. Its construction was made possible through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the donation of the site by the Government of the United States of America.
The Directing Council, one of PAHO's governing bodies, brings together health authorities from Member States to define policies, approve strategies and strengthen regional health cooperation. The Walk for Health provided a fitting start to the week, underscoring the role of health promotion and healthy environments in advancing well-being across the Americas.
