Washington, DC, September 25, 2017 (PAHO / WHO) - Paraguayan Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare Antonio Barrios was elected to preside over the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in which health authorities of the Americas are convening to establish policies and priorities for the region.
"The election of Paraguay represents great pride at the national level," Barrios said after offering his condolences to the families of the victims of the latest disasters that hit the region, including the hurricanes in the Caribbean and earthquakes in Mexico. He added that this is the first time that his country has been elected to preside over the governing authority of PAHO, for which he said he felt "tremendously flattered and proud for all the work being done by the Ministry of Health and progress in this regard."
From today until the end of the week, representatives from countries and territories in the region will discuss strategies and plans to strengthen tobacco control in the Americas; support the elimination of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome; and strengthen the role of human resources in health to achieve universal health, among other agenda items.
According to Barrios, the role of human resources in health is a priority for Paraguay, which is enacting national health reforms. "It is becoming more difficult to get a therapist, an endocrinologist, a rheumatologist, and even a pediatrician because doctors are thinking of other specializations that do not require extraordinary sacrifice." He added that this trend is "a problem that is reflected in several countries of the Americas and will be discussed at the conference."
Climate change and its effects on health is another issue that will be addressed in a parallel event to the Conference. According to Barrios, in his country, the consequences of "natural phenomena are still very slight," but Paraguay, he said, has begun to suffer strong winds, hurricanes, and hail storms that can cause injuries to people, damaging roofs of health centers and equipment inside. "We will make the maximum effort, as PAHO is doing, to provide critical, timely assistance" in the face of disasters, he said.
The Paraguayan minister stressed the progress of his country in the fight against dengue and its mosquito transmitters. These efforts have led to zero deaths caused by dengue so far this year, a dramatic reduction from the 250 dengue deaths in 2013, when the country experienced its last major epidemic. Barrios highlighted overweight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases as some the main concerns in his portfolio.
Barrios has a doctorate in medicine and surgery, and as a pediatrician he specialized in neonatology. For more than 20 years he worked at the Rigoberto Caballero Police Hospital as head of the Neonatal and Neonatal Therapy Service. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Social Security from 2003 to 2008, the year he was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare. He was the chief medical advisor of the Feprinco Representation Department before the Board of Directors of the Institute of Social Security until August 2013. That year he assumed the position of Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare of Paraguay.
Barrios will replace the outgoing president of the Pan American Sanitary Conference, Nickolas Steele, Minister of Health and Social Security of Grenada. For their part, the representatives of Guyana and Panama were elected as the two vice presidents of the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference of PAHO.
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