WASHINGTON, USA, (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) kicked off its participation at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), calling on partners to strengthen regional cooperation and place public health at the center of national priorities.
Addressing thousands of professionals gathered in the US capital under the theme “Making the Public’s Health a National Priority,” PAHO director Dr Jarbas Barbosa emphasised that “health security starts when each country across the region prioritises its public’s health and works together to prevent disease, strengthen resilient health systems, and build a viable health workforce.”
“Health is the foundation of security, economic stability, and social resilience,” Dr Barbosa said, recalling that “in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, global GDP shrank by 3.5 percent — a stark reminder that health is inseparable from security, prosperity, and development.”
A tradition of Pan-American cooperation
Founded in 1902 in Washington, DC, as the International Sanitary Bureau, PAHO was created on the belief that no country can protect the health of its people in isolation. Today, with 35 member states, three participating states, and four associate states, the organisation continues to serve as a bridge for health cooperation across the Americas.
“Pan Americanism is grounded in the belief that prioritising the health, prosperity, and security of each nation benefits our entire region,” said Dr Barbosa, reflecting on the long history of collaboration between the United States and the countries of the region.
PAHO experts on APHA 2025 panels
Throughout the conference, held at the Marriott Marquis, PAHO experts will participate in multiple technical sessions on topics ranging from the elimination of communicable diseases to health workforce education and digital transformation in health.
Highlighted sessions include:
- November 2 (2:30-4:00 p.m.) – Strengthening Health Security through a Unified Response to Antimicrobial Resistance: Outbreak Response, Vaccine Impact, and Emerging Treatment Gaps.
- November 4 (8:30 -10:00 a.m.) – Beyond Single Diseases: PAHO’s Regional Initiative to Achieve Multi-Disease Elimination by 2030.
- November 4 (10:30 – 12:00 a.m.) – Algorithms for Acceleration: Transforming Public Health in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
- November 4 (4:30 – 6:00 p.m.) – Enhancing Primary Health in the Americas through Strategic Health Workforce Education Planning.
The APHA 2025 Film Festival will also feature seven short films developed by PAHO country offices, including the in-person screening and discussion of “El Salvador: A promoter’s journey bringing health to their community.”
For more details on PAHO’s panels, follow PAHO’s social media channels or visit this event page.
In the exhibition area, PAHO will host two interactive booths (booths 129 and 913) focusing on key dimensions of health security. Attendees can explore technical tools, access publications, and engage with experts on topics such as antimicrobial resistance, emergency preparedness and response, disease elimination, artificial intelligence, health systems, and the work of PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, among others.
A decade of collaboration
PAHO and APHA have shared more than a decade of collaboration. Since 2014, when APHA was recognised as a non-governmental organisation in official relations with PAHO, both institutions have worked together on National Public Health Week, World Health Day, and the translation and dissemination of scientific publications, including the Spanish-language edition of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual.
They have also partnered with the Mexican Society of Public Health to improve health along the US–Mexico border.
“Each experience PAHO has built across the Americas holds lessons that can inform and strengthen public health here in the United States as well,” said Dr Barbosa, underscoring that “true health security lies in our ability to learn, adapt, and advance together.”
