PAHO Director calls on Caribbean health ministers to ensure social protection

Sunday, November 9, 2003

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Mirta Roses, called on health ministers and senior personnel in their ministries to ensure that their leadership was responsive to the region's changing environment where the focus was on promoting equity and access to services for individuals, families and communities.

"Improving health status is the ultimate goal to which societies expect their health systems to contribute," she said, noting that the countries of the Caribbean were at a crossroad in their effort to develop their health systems and in tackling health sector reform.

Dr. Roses noted that as a result of state and health sector reforms designed to bring decision-making power to local levels, decentralization is an ongoing process in the Caribbean region, and this highlighted the leadership role in the ministries. Several countries in the English-speaking Caribbean are well advanced in the development of strategic health plans, she said, calling this a clear demonstration of the ministries' leadership function and their commitment to invest in health.

Roses said island states with their relatively small systems and resource constraints face special challenges, which can best be met by learning from others, sharing resources and moving forward.

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world's oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of its people. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

PAHO Member States today include all 35 countries in the Americas. France, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are Participating States. Portugal and Spain are Observer States, and Puerto Rico is an Associate Member. 

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