Countries in the Americas can accelerate disease elimination through leadership, investment and partnerships

Briefing session at PAHO Directing Council highlights country experiences, innovations and catalytic investments advancing the elimination of more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions.

Washington, D.C., 1 October 2026 (PAHO) - Countries of the Americas can accelerate efforts to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions through strong national leadership, strategic investment and targeted support from partners, health authorities, and international organizations.

These priorities were highlighted during a briefing session at the 63rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), bringing together country representatives and development partners to share experiences and discuss ways to overcome barriers to disease elimination.

Opening the session, PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa highlighted progress since the Organization's Disease Elimination Initiative was relaunched in 2023. Five countries have launched national multi-disease elimination plans, seven are developing roadmaps, and another 17 are accelerating elimination strategies. Over the past 12 months, five countries have been certified for having eliminated at least one communicable disease.

"Catalytic investments remain essential to overcome barriers, scale up solutions that have already demonstrated results and turn innovation into access for those who need it most," Dr. Barbosa said. He stressed that investments in elimination also strengthen primary health care, surveillance, laboratories and information systems, creating benefits that extend beyond individual diseases.

Representatives from Colombia, Peru, and The Bahamas shared how countries are translating elimination commitments into action and impact.

Dr. Valentina Antonieta Alarcón Guizado, the Executive Director of the Directorate for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control of Peru's Ministry of Health, highlighted efforts to accelerate tuberculosis elimination through the expansion of innovative health technologies like portable X-rays with AI, rapid molecular testing, and stronger primary health care. More than 230,000 people have been screened using portable X-rays, including communities and populations at increased risk.

Dr. Mauricio Vera Soto, Coordinator of the Integrated Management Group for Endemic-Epidemic Diseases at Colombia's Ministry of Health and Social Protection, described an integrated approach covering more than 20 communicable diseases and related conditions, including Chagas disease, trachoma, leishmaniasis and malaria. He highlighted efforts to bring services closer to Indigenous and other underserved communities through integrated care models and cross-border cooperation in the Amazon basin and major urban centers.

Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness of The Bahamas, emphasized that elimination requires sustained commitment over many years. The country has invested in health workers training, laboratory capacity, primary health care and digital systems for monitoring and reporting, building on its experience eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

"Elimination is a journey of decades," Dr. Darville said. "It takes time, training, digitization and investment." He also stressed the importance of political will and cooperation across government, noting that ministries of health cannot achieve elimination working in isolation.

Moving forward with catalytic investments

The session also brought development partners and global health organizations to examine how catalytic investments can accelerate country-led efforts. Speakers described targeted investments that can help countries introduce and expand innovations, overcome persistent barriers and build capacities that can benefit multiple diseases and health priorities.

Gillian Gillen of Global Affairs Canada pointed to investments in trachoma elimination as an example. Canada has provided CAD$15 million to support trachoma elimination efforts in 10 countries, helping strengthen surveillance and expand access to services in underserved communities.

"What makes it catalytic is what it grows into," Gillen said. She noted that countries are now using platforms established for trachoma to address Chagas disease, malaria and skin-related neglected tropical diseases, while also delivering eye health services and preventive treatment-allowing a single investment to support multiple health priorities. Gillen also called for greater action and investment to accelerate disease elimination across the Americas.

Other partners highlighted the role of innovation and stronger health systems. Victoria Tur Gómez, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), highlighted how catalytic investments can strengthen health systems, expand access to services and improve monitoring systems, helping accelerate health outcomes across the Region.

Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, pointed to expanded access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and portable digital X-rays for tuberculosis as examples of technologies that can bring prevention and diagnosis closer to communities.

Philip Weklhoff, Director of the Malaria Program at the Gates Foundation, highlighted advances in malaria elimination in the Americas and opportunities to use efficiencies by introducing health technologies to accelerate elimination achievements and reinforce health systems to overcome barriers in access to health services.

Dr. John Vertefeuille, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized that the surveillance systems, laboratory networks and trained health workforce needed for elimination also strengthen countries' ability to detect and respond to emerging health threats.

"The capacities that make this progress possible are not limited to one disease," Dr. Vertefeuille said. Continued investment in these systems, he added, can protect hard-won elimination gains while contributing to a healthier and more secure Region.

Throughout the session, participants emphasized that disease elimination requires continued national investment alongside strategic partnerships and catalytic financing. By directing resources toward proven interventions, closing persistent gaps and strengthening capacities that serve multiple health priorities, countries can accelerate progress toward elimination while ensuring that gains achieved today are sustained over time.