All PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres located in the Region of the Americas are invited to attend the 3rd Regional Meeting with PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres in the Americas, taking place on 27 October 2026.
The meeting is proposed as a strategic follow-up mechanism to sustain momentum from the 2nd Regional Meeting translating global and regional discussions into actionable regional collaboration (September 2025) and the Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres (April 2026).
Objective of the Meeting:
- Establish a regional collaboration agenda with PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres, PAHO technical units, and WHO, focused on priority areas aligned with GPW14 and PAHO flagship initiatives and priority mandates.
- Strengthen thematic and cross-cutting CC networks (communities of practice) to enable sustained collaboration, peer learning, and joint implementation beyond one-off meetings.
- Enhance the visibility and communication of CC contributions by identifying concrete mechanisms and standardized formats for showcasing CC impact across the Region.
- Discuss concrete opportunities for resource mobilization and sustainability by identifying practical opportunities for joint proposals, partner engagement, and PAHO-facilitated coordination.
WHEN
- 27 October 2026 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (EST)
Please check the time in your timezone.
WHOM
- Ongoing PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres
- PAHO/WHO Personnel
WHERE
Virtually via Zoom.
HOW
- Advance registration is required. Please use the link below to register.
27 October 2026
9:00 – 9:15 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Opening remarks by the PAHO Director on the strategic role of PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres in the Region.
9:15 – 9:45 am
Resource Mobilization: Opportunities for Collaborating Centres
Presentation by Mariana Faria, ERP, on resource mobilization, partnerships, and opportunities to support collaboration and sustainability.
9:45 – 10:15 am
From Networking to Resource Mobilization: The Canadian CC Network Experience
The Canadian network’s experience in strengthening collaboration among CCs and mobilizing resources to support joint activities.
10:15 – 10:35 am
Collaborating Better: From Individual Centres to Stronger Networks
Experiences and discussion on strengthening collaboration among CCs, including lessons from national and thematic networks in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.
10:35 – 10:45 am
Break
10:45 – 11:15 am
First Regional Network of CCs for Digital Health
Presentation and discussion of the proposed network, with a focus on Information Systems for Health (IS4H), Digital Transformation, and Artificial Intelligence.
11:15 – 11:45 am
Launch of the PAHO Good Practices Initiative for Collaborating Centres
Presentation of the initiative, methodology, and timeline to document and showcase CC contributions, including preparation toward the WHO Global Forum of Collaborating Centres in April 2027.
11:45 am – 12:05 pm
Commitments, Next Steps and Closing
Agreement on priority actions, timeline, focal points, and follow-up toward 2027.
TBC - The meeting will be held in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with simultaneous interpretation available in all three languages.
TBD
For further information about the meeting, please contact the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres team at: pahowhocc@paho.org
Call for Good Practices in Collaborating with PAHO through the Collaborating Centre Mechanism
PAHO/WHO invites all ongoing Collaborating Centres (CCs) located in the Region of the Americas to submit experiences, results, and lessons learned from work carried out by CCs in collaboration with PAHO and WHO. The documented experiences will show how the mechanism contributes to PAHO’s technical cooperation and to country and regional health priorities and will support knowledge exchange among CCs and Member States. The purpose is to highlight the contribution of the CCs mechanism to the Organization’s technical cooperation, including the strengthening of institutional capacities, partnerships and networks, knowledge exchange, and cooperation among Member States, including South–South and triangular cooperation. The results and lessons learned will also help PAHO and WHO identify opportunities to improve the mechanism, strengthen coordination, and better align future collaboration with global, regional, and country health priorities. The call for submissions is open from 19 October 2026 to 15 January 2027. |
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Second Regional Webinar with PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres
Synergies for universal health: Leveraging PAHO’s flagship initiatives and the role of PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres. Washington, D.C., 9–10 September 2025
PAHO Director’s meeting with PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres in Canada
Meeting Report. Ottawa, 9 April 2024
PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers: celebrating the achievement of our common goals
Pan American Journal of Public Health, Editorial, 2024
PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres Regional Webinar
Engaging Our Partners to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals Together, 19–20 April 2021