#paho

By Cheryl LaBash

Health ministers from throughout the Americas gathered in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, for a week of meetings to set regional health goals and priorities at the 57th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 

The meeting opened, however, without Cuba’s Minister of Public Health Dr. José Ángel Portal Miranda. According to Reuters, the United States denied his visa, intentionally preventing a leading public health official from participating in an international meeting.

World Polio Day (October 24), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) celebrates over three decades without wild poliovirus cases in the Americas. PAHO continues to highlights the importance of strengthening vaccination coverage to prevent a possible resurgence of this preventable disease. A few decades ago, parents lived in fear for their children’s health — sudden fever, pain, muscle…

    PAHO highlights wider effects of Brazil’s robust vaccination scheme Friday, October 3rd 2025 – 10:08 UTC Vaccine hesitance prevails among some groups, Morales reckoned The Pan American Health Organization noted this week that Brazil’s robust vaccination campaigns have yielded benefits for neighboring countries. Cristian Morales, representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)…

In the context of International Nurses Day (May 12), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) proposes that Member States engage in discussions on the use of evidence and information in strategic actions to strengthen nursing and ensure a sustainable workforce for the Region of the Americas.

The Region of the Americas has 7.4 million nursing professionals, representing 63% of the health workforce.

The distribution of nursing personnel among the countries of the Region is uneven:  The density of nurses varies from 7 to 135 per 10 000 population, and 40% of countries have fewer than 30 nurses per 10 000 population.

Eighty-seven percent of nurses are women, who continue to face gender inequality and lack of professional recognition.

Although 86% of countries have government chief nursing officers, the participation of nurses in the development and implementation of health policies remains limited.

The number of nursing graduates has declined dramatically, from 81 to 24 per 10 000 population between 2018 and 2023, indicating that the profession has become less attractive.

The working conditions of nurses are inadequate. In the Region of the Americas:

50% of countries have regulated working hours

31% have wellness and mental health programs for health personnel

36% have retention mechanisms in place for nurses in rural areas

Building on the lessons from COVID-19, countries from the Americas strongly engaged in decisions to better prepare against present and future health challenges, including pandemics, climate change and growing antibiotic resistance, and to promote universal health coverage.