Pan American Health Organization
Encyclopedia
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health
agency with over 100 years of experience working to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas
. It enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations
system, serving as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization
, and as the health organization of the Inter-American System.
, and has scientific and technical experts at its headquarters, in its 27 country offices, and its nine scientific centers, all working with the countries of Latin America
and the Caribbean
in dealing with priority health issues. The health authorities of PAHO's Member States set PAHO's technical and administrative policies through its Governing Bodies. PAHO Member States include all 35 countries in the Americas; Puerto Rico
is an Associate Member. France
, the Kingdom of the Netherlands
, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are Participating States, and Portugal
and Spain
are Observer States.
The Organization's essential mission is to strengthen national and local health systems and improve the health of the peoples of the Americas, in collaboration with Ministries of Health, other government and international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and many others.
PAHO promotes primary health care strategies, which reach people in their communities, to extend health services to all and to increase efficiency in the use of scarce resources. It assists countries in fighting old diseases that have re-emerged, such as cholera
, dengue and tuberculosis
, and new diseases such as the spreading AIDS
epidemic, providing technical cooperation including education and social communications support, promoting work with non-governmental organizations, and support for programs to prevent transmission of communicable diseases. The Organization is also involved in prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer
, which are increasingly affecting the populations of developing countries in the Americas and in promoting the use of research evidence to inform health care decisions through the implementation of knowledge translation strategies such as the Evidence Informed Policy Network - EVIPNet Evipnet
. In September 2009 the 49th Directing Council approved PAHO's Policy on Research for Health CD49.10 becoming the first regional office of the World Health Organization with a policy to provide a strategic approach aimed at using research to improve equity, health and development, and to strengthen national health research systems.
In its efforts to improve health, PAHO targets the most vulnerable groups including mothers and children, workers, the poor, the elderly, and refugees and displaced persons. It focuses on issues related to equity for those who lack access to health, and on a Panamerican approach encouraging countries to work together on common issues and build lasting capacities.
PAHO and its Member Countries are committed to improving the safety of blood in the Americas, launching a blood safety initiative designed to ensure that all blood for transfusion is free of disease and to increase the number of volunteer blood donors.
A major priority for the Americas
is cutting infant mortality
, and PAHO is mobilizing new political, institutional and financial resources to prevent an additional 25,000 infant deaths every year through application of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy, a simple and practical approach in which primary health care
workers are taught a complete process to evaluate the health status of children brought to a health post or clinic. They learn to recognize signs of disease and evaluate and treat them. They learn to give parents information on how to prevent disease in the home. If they see danger signs indicating the infant could die, they are taught to treat the child immediately or take him or her to a hospital.
Its Governing Bodies have mandated PAHO to move aggressively in the fight to reduce the use of tobacco, emphasizing the health aspects and the high cost to the countries of tobacco use. It also continues to emphasize the approach of health promotion
as applied to people and not an abstract construct.
Improvement of drinking water supplies, adequate sanitation, and increased access to health care
for the poor are still top priorities for PAHO, with a focus on equity. The Organization is intensifying its efforts to have countries know the true state of health of their populations and where the inequalities lie. Program efforts focus on correcting inequality, taking into account decentralization and change of state functions, on showing that health has a role to play in the success of other sectors, and on how attention to health affects positively other aspects of human development. Advocacy in this area is also directed to reducing pernicious gender inequity, which reflects in some health problems of women.
The Pan American approach is a part of PAHO history and the spirit of Panamericanism continues to stimulate technical cooperation among countries in health. PAHO has helped countries work together toward common goals, and to initiate multi-country health ventures in Central America
, the Caribbean
, the Andean Region
, and the Southern Cone
. Experience has shown practical benefits such as the solidarity that helped Central America after hurricane Mitch
, and there are numerous other examples. Health collaboration found expression at the highest political level when American heads of state in their Summit in Santiago accepted a health initiative called "Health Technology Linking the Americas."
The countries of Latin America
and the Caribbean
joined together over 20 years ago to buy vaccines through a revolving fund, bringing them tangible benefits and helping advance PAHO's efforts to eliminate or control vaccine-preventable diseases. These are among the Organization's most notable successes, starting with the eradication of smallpox from the Americas in 1973; a triumph followed five years later by global eradication of the dreaded disease.
A major effort committing the Americas to embark on polio eradication in 1985 succeeded in September 1994, when a distinguished International Commission declared the Americas officially polio-free. The last case of polio in the Americas
was identified August 23, 1991 in a young boy named Luis Fermín Tenorio Cortez, in Junín
, Peru
. Since then, despite intensive surveillance, no cases of polio have been detected anywhere in the Americas
, and the World Health Organization
is now working toward the goal of eradicating polio globally. PAHO assists the countries in mobilizing the necessary resources to provide immunization and treatment services for all vaccine-preventable diseases
. PAHO is close to accomplishing the goal of eliminating measles
from this hemisphere and is pressing on with the introduction of new vaccines that are currently available, such as Haemophilus influenzae
B. to reduce meningitis
and respiratory infections. PAHO works to reduce the toll of death and illness from diarrheal diseases, including cholera
, through case management and oral rehydration therapy
to prevent deaths from dehydration, and to provide adequate diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory infections, thus saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year.
PAHO disseminates scientific and technical information through its publications program, its Internet site http://www.paho.org, and a network of academic libraries, documentation centers, and local health care libraries.
The Organization provides technical collaboration in a variety of specialized public health fields, and organizes emergency preparedness and disaster relief coordination. It supports efforts to strengthen national health systems, develop national health research systems, control malaria
, Chagas' disease, urban rabies
, leprosy
, and other diseases that affect the people of the Americas. PAHO collaborates with governments, other agencies, and private groups to address major nutritional problems including protein-energy malnutrition
, and is now working to eliminate iodine and vitamin A deficiencies.
It expedites health promotion to help countries deal with health problems typical of development and urbanization, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer
, accidents, smoking
, addiction to drugs and alcohol
, and others.
The Organization also executes projects for other United Nations
agencies, for international organizations such as the World Bank
and Inter-American Development Bank
, for official development cooperation agencies of various governments, and for philanthropic foundations.
PAHO strengthens the health sector capacity in the countries to advance their priority programs through intersectoral action, promoting an integral approach to health problems. It also works to improve women's health, promoting the greater integration of women in society, as well as awareness of their importance as both recipients and providers of health services.
PAHO trains health workers at all levels, through fellowships, courses and seminars, and the strengthening of national training institutions. It leads in the use of advanced communications technologies for information, health promotion, and education, working with journalists in many countries.
The Organization recognizes the role of the private sector in the delivery of services, and fosters dialogue and partnerships with the Ministries of Health. In addition to its core budget financed by quota contributions from its Member Governments, PAHO also seeks outside funding to help implement special programs and initiatives in response to vital health needs. Voluntary tax-deductible contributions for PAHO health and education projects in the Americas
may be made to the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF).
Dr. Mirta Roses Periago of Argentina
became the new Director of the Pan American Health Organization on January 31, 2003. Dr. Roses, who was elected to a five-year term by the Ministers of Health of the Americas at the Pan American Sanitary Conference September 25, 2002 (and re-elected in 2007), is the fourth Latin American and the first woman to lead the world's oldest international health agency.
Excellence: Achieving the highest quality in what we do.
Solidarity: Promoting shared interests and responsibilities and enabling collective efforts to achieve common goals.
Respect: Embracing the dignity and diversity of individuals, groups and countries.
Integrity: Assuring transparent, ethical, and accountable performance.
architect Roman Fresnedo Siri
, features 29 round bronze seals of the founding nations of the Pan American Health Organization set in black stone on the exterior. Each medallion is 2.5 feet in diameter and were designed by American sculptor Michael Lantz. They were originally meant to be carved in granite. The east side of the south facade (left to right) seals are for: France, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The west side of the south facade seals are for: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and El Salvador. In 1993 the seals were surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution
's Save Outdoor Sculpture!
program and were described as needing conservation treatment.
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
agency with over 100 years of experience working to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. It enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
system, serving as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, and as the health organization of the Inter-American System.
Description
PAHO is based in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and has scientific and technical experts at its headquarters, in its 27 country offices, and its nine scientific centers, all working with the countries of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in dealing with priority health issues. The health authorities of PAHO's Member States set PAHO's technical and administrative policies through its Governing Bodies. PAHO Member States include all 35 countries in the Americas; Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
is an Associate Member. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are Participating States, and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
are Observer States.
The Organization's essential mission is to strengthen national and local health systems and improve the health of the peoples of the Americas, in collaboration with Ministries of Health, other government and international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and many others.
PAHO promotes primary health care strategies, which reach people in their communities, to extend health services to all and to increase efficiency in the use of scarce resources. It assists countries in fighting old diseases that have re-emerged, such as cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, dengue and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and new diseases such as the spreading AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
epidemic, providing technical cooperation including education and social communications support, promoting work with non-governmental organizations, and support for programs to prevent transmission of communicable diseases. The Organization is also involved in prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, which are increasingly affecting the populations of developing countries in the Americas and in promoting the use of research evidence to inform health care decisions through the implementation of knowledge translation strategies such as the Evidence Informed Policy Network - EVIPNet Evipnet
Evipnet
Evidence Informed Policy Network stands for Evidence Informed Policy Network. The network, sponsored by the World Health Organization , uses a systems approach to strengthen health systems by improving the links between policy and the results of scientific research for health, especially in...
. In September 2009 the 49th Directing Council approved PAHO's Policy on Research for Health CD49.10 becoming the first regional office of the World Health Organization with a policy to provide a strategic approach aimed at using research to improve equity, health and development, and to strengthen national health research systems.
In its efforts to improve health, PAHO targets the most vulnerable groups including mothers and children, workers, the poor, the elderly, and refugees and displaced persons. It focuses on issues related to equity for those who lack access to health, and on a Panamerican approach encouraging countries to work together on common issues and build lasting capacities.
PAHO and its Member Countries are committed to improving the safety of blood in the Americas, launching a blood safety initiative designed to ensure that all blood for transfusion is free of disease and to increase the number of volunteer blood donors.
A major priority for the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
is cutting infant mortality
Infant mortality
Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
, and PAHO is mobilizing new political, institutional and financial resources to prevent an additional 25,000 infant deaths every year through application of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy, a simple and practical approach in which primary health care
Primary health care
Primary health care, often abbreviated as “PHC”, has been defined as "essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost...
workers are taught a complete process to evaluate the health status of children brought to a health post or clinic. They learn to recognize signs of disease and evaluate and treat them. They learn to give parents information on how to prevent disease in the home. If they see danger signs indicating the infant could die, they are taught to treat the child immediately or take him or her to a hospital.
Its Governing Bodies have mandated PAHO to move aggressively in the fight to reduce the use of tobacco, emphasizing the health aspects and the high cost to the countries of tobacco use. It also continues to emphasize the approach of health promotion
Health promotion
Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...
as applied to people and not an abstract construct.
Improvement of drinking water supplies, adequate sanitation, and increased access to health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
for the poor are still top priorities for PAHO, with a focus on equity. The Organization is intensifying its efforts to have countries know the true state of health of their populations and where the inequalities lie. Program efforts focus on correcting inequality, taking into account decentralization and change of state functions, on showing that health has a role to play in the success of other sectors, and on how attention to health affects positively other aspects of human development. Advocacy in this area is also directed to reducing pernicious gender inequity, which reflects in some health problems of women.
The Pan American approach is a part of PAHO history and the spirit of Panamericanism continues to stimulate technical cooperation among countries in health. PAHO has helped countries work together toward common goals, and to initiate multi-country health ventures in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, the Andean Region
Andean region
Andean region may refer to:* Andes, mountain chain in South America* Andean Region * Andean Region of Colombia...
, and the Southern Cone
Southern Cone
Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Although geographically this includes part of Southern and Southeast of Brazil, in terms of political geography the Southern cone has traditionally comprised Argentina,...
. Experience has shown practical benefits such as the solidarity that helped Central America after hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
, and there are numerous other examples. Health collaboration found expression at the highest political level when American heads of state in their Summit in Santiago accepted a health initiative called "Health Technology Linking the Americas."
The countries of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
joined together over 20 years ago to buy vaccines through a revolving fund, bringing them tangible benefits and helping advance PAHO's efforts to eliminate or control vaccine-preventable diseases. These are among the Organization's most notable successes, starting with the eradication of smallpox from the Americas in 1973; a triumph followed five years later by global eradication of the dreaded disease.
A major effort committing the Americas to embark on polio eradication in 1985 succeeded in September 1994, when a distinguished International Commission declared the Americas officially polio-free. The last case of polio in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
was identified August 23, 1991 in a young boy named Luis Fermín Tenorio Cortez, in Junín
Junín, Peru
Junín is a town in Central Peru, capital of the province Junín in the region Junín....
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Since then, despite intensive surveillance, no cases of polio have been detected anywhere in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, and the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
is now working toward the goal of eradicating polio globally. PAHO assists the countries in mobilizing the necessary resources to provide immunization and treatment services for all vaccine-preventable diseases
Vaccine-preventable diseases
A vaccine-preventable disease is an infectious disease for which an effective preventive vaccine exists. If a person acquires a vaccine-preventable disease and dies from it, the death is considered a vaccine-preventable death....
. PAHO is close to accomplishing the goal of eliminating measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
from this hemisphere and is pressing on with the introduction of new vaccines that are currently available, such as Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae, formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or Bacillus influenzae, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium first described in 1892 by Richard Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic. A member of the Pasteurellaceae family, it is generally aerobic, but can grow as a facultative anaerobe. H...
B. to reduce meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
and respiratory infections. PAHO works to reduce the toll of death and illness from diarrheal diseases, including cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, through case management and oral rehydration therapy
Oral rehydration therapy
Oral rehydration therapy is a simple treatment for dehydration associated with diarrhoea, particularly gastroenteritis or gastroenteropathy, such as that caused by cholera or rotavirus. ORT consists of a solution of salts and sugars which is taken by mouth...
to prevent deaths from dehydration, and to provide adequate diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory infections, thus saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year.
PAHO disseminates scientific and technical information through its publications program, its Internet site http://www.paho.org, and a network of academic libraries, documentation centers, and local health care libraries.
The Organization provides technical collaboration in a variety of specialized public health fields, and organizes emergency preparedness and disaster relief coordination. It supports efforts to strengthen national health systems, develop national health research systems, control malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, Chagas' disease, urban rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
, leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, and other diseases that affect the people of the Americas. PAHO collaborates with governments, other agencies, and private groups to address major nutritional problems including protein-energy malnutrition
Protein-energy malnutrition
Protein-energy malnutrition refers to a form of malnutrition where there is inadequate protein intake.Types include:* Kwashiorkor...
, and is now working to eliminate iodine and vitamin A deficiencies.
It expedites health promotion to help countries deal with health problems typical of development and urbanization, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, accidents, smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
, addiction to drugs and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, and others.
The Organization also executes projects for other United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
agencies, for international organizations such as the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
, for official development cooperation agencies of various governments, and for philanthropic foundations.
PAHO strengthens the health sector capacity in the countries to advance their priority programs through intersectoral action, promoting an integral approach to health problems. It also works to improve women's health, promoting the greater integration of women in society, as well as awareness of their importance as both recipients and providers of health services.
PAHO trains health workers at all levels, through fellowships, courses and seminars, and the strengthening of national training institutions. It leads in the use of advanced communications technologies for information, health promotion, and education, working with journalists in many countries.
The Organization recognizes the role of the private sector in the delivery of services, and fosters dialogue and partnerships with the Ministries of Health. In addition to its core budget financed by quota contributions from its Member Governments, PAHO also seeks outside funding to help implement special programs and initiatives in response to vital health needs. Voluntary tax-deductible contributions for PAHO health and education projects in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
may be made to the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF).
Dr. Mirta Roses Periago of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
became the new Director of the Pan American Health Organization on January 31, 2003. Dr. Roses, who was elected to a five-year term by the Ministers of Health of the Americas at the Pan American Sanitary Conference September 25, 2002 (and re-elected in 2007), is the fourth Latin American and the first woman to lead the world's oldest international health agency.
Values, vision, mission
The Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB), the oldest international health agency in the world, is the Secretariat of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The Bureau is committed to providing technical support and leadership to PAHO Member States as they pursue their goal of Health for All and the values therein. Toward that end, the following values, vision, and mission guide the Bureau's work.Values
Equity: Striving for fairness and justice by eliminating differences that are unnecessary and avoidable.Excellence: Achieving the highest quality in what we do.
Solidarity: Promoting shared interests and responsibilities and enabling collective efforts to achieve common goals.
Respect: Embracing the dignity and diversity of individuals, groups and countries.
Integrity: Assuring transparent, ethical, and accountable performance.
Vision
The Pan American Sanitary Bureau will be the major catalyst for ensuring that all the peoples of the Americas enjoy optimal health and contribute to the well being of their families and communities.Mission
To lead strategic collaborative efforts among Member States and other partners to promote equity in health, to combat disease, and to improve the quality of, and lengthen, the lives of the peoples of the Americas.Directors of the Panamerican Sanitary Bureau
- Dr. Walter WymanWalter WymanWalter Wyman was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the third Surgeon General of the United States from 1891 until his death in 1911.-Early years:...
(US) 1902-1911 - Dr. Rupert BlueRupert BlueRupert Blue was an American physician and soldier. He was appointed the fourth Surgeon General of the United States from 1912 to 1920.-Early years:...
(US) 1912-1920 - Dr. Hugh Cumming (US) 1920-1947
- Dr. Fred SoperFred SoperFrederick Lowe Soper was an American epidemiologist.Born in Hutchinson, Kansas, His first two degrees were received from the University of Kansas, an AB in 1914 and his Masters of Science in 1916. He received a doctorate from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.Soper spent the better part...
(US) 1947-1959 - Dr. Abraham Horwitz (Chile) 1959-1975
- Dr. Hector AcuñaHéctor AcuñaHéctor Acuña is a Uruguayan footballer currently playing for Marathón in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras....
(Mexico) 1975-1983 - Dr. Carlyle Guerra de Macedo (Brazil) 1983-1995
- Dr. George AlleyneGeorge AlleyneSir George Alleyne currently serves as United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region. He was appointed to the position by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in February 2003....
(Barbados) 1995-2003 - Dr. Mirta Roses PeriagoMirta Roses PeriagoDr. Mirta Roses Periago is an Argentine epidemiologist. As of 2009, she is the Director of the Pan American Health Organization .She received a medical degree in 1969 from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, and additional qualifications in tropical medicine, public health, and epidemiology...
(Argentina) 2003-2013
Building
The building, designed by UruguayanUruguayan people
Uruguayan people or Uruguayans are the citizens of Uruguay, or its descendants abroad. Uruguay is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnical backgrounds...
architect Roman Fresnedo Siri
Roman Fresnedo Siri
Roman Fresnedo Siri was a Uruguayan architect.- Biography :Born Salto, Uruguay, he graduated as an architect of the Faculty of Architecture, University of the Republic, at the Old City of Montevideo....
, features 29 round bronze seals of the founding nations of the Pan American Health Organization set in black stone on the exterior. Each medallion is 2.5 feet in diameter and were designed by American sculptor Michael Lantz. They were originally meant to be carved in granite. The east side of the south facade (left to right) seals are for: France, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The west side of the south facade seals are for: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and El Salvador. In 1993 the seals were surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
program and were described as needing conservation treatment.
See also
- Pan American Journal of Public HealthPan American Journal of Public HealthThe Pan American Journal of Public Health is a peer-reviewed open-access public health journal covering research and case studies on issues of public health significance, mainly in areas related to national and local health systems, to improve the health of the peoples of the Americas...
- World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
- United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...