Buenos Aires, March 5, 2026 (PAHO) — Today, Argentina joined the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas (AxAPS), a regional initiative promoted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank (WB), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to accelerate the transformation of health systems through investment, innovation, and strategic coordination.
Representatives of the institutions, including Argentina’s Minister of Health, Mario Lugones, and the Director of PAHO, Jarbas Barbosa, signed a memorandum to add Argentina to AxAPS, reinforcing the primary health care strategy as the foundation for improving health. The document also lays out the groundwork for creating a space for dialogue and technical coordination to support the strengthening of the health system based on primary health care within the framework of the Alliance.
“We welcome Argentina’s integration into this alliance and congratulate the Ministry of Health for its leadership and its decision to place primary health care as a priority of its administration,” said PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa. “Cooperation among institutions can help address shared challenges in the region, such as service fragmentation, access gaps, and the growing demand for care at the primary level,” he added.
Argentina’s participation in AxAPS represents a strategic and consultative action that will enable technical exchange and coordination among the Ministry of Health, international organizations, and other partners, in line with national priorities to strengthen primary health care.
Among other objectives, this platform could ensure that international cooperation efforts support national priorities, as well as support the exchange of experiences and lessons learned to strengthen Argentina’s health system.
The signed memorandum reflects the parties’ commitment to continue technical exchanges and move toward a specific agreement that will define the scope and operating modalities of the future Advisory Table for Primary Health Care in Argentina.
Also participating in the meeting were the PAHO Representative in Argentina, Eva Jané Llopis; the Secretary of Administrative Management, Guido Giana; the Secretary of Health Management, Saúl Flores; the Head of the Cabinet of Advisors Unit, Roberto Olivieri Pinto; and the National Director of International Relations, Mariana Vásquez Durán; Cristina Panasco Santos, Operations Manager for Southern Cone Countries at the World Bank; and, virtually, Ignacio Astorga, Lead Health Specialist in the Health, Nutrition and Population Division of the IDB.
The Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas was launched in December 2023. To date, Bolivia, Chile, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and now Argentina have joined the Alliance to strengthen primary health care as a pillar of resilient, people-centered health systems through investment, innovation, and strategic coordination across the Region.
