PAHO Director presents 2025 Annual Report to OAS Permanent Council

Washington, D.C., June 3, 2026 (PAHO) - The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, today presented the Organization's 2025 Annual Report to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), highlighting progress and challenges in public health across the Americas and underscoring the role of solidarity, innovation and collective action in advancing regional health.

The presentation took place during a regular session of the OAS Permanent Council ahead of the OAS General Assembly, which will convene later this month in Panama. As the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System, PAHO reports annually to the OAS on regional health progress and technical cooperation with Member States.

Presenting the report, titled Driving Innovation, Delivering Impact, Dr. Barbosa emphasized that "the report reflects how the countries of the Americas continue to advance health through solidarity, innovation, and collective action."

Key highlights of 2025

Dr. Barbosa highlighted that in 2025 the Americas continued to lead globally in disease elimination. Suriname became the first country in the Amazon Basin to be certified malaria-free, bringing the total number of malaria-free countries in the Region to twenty. Brazil also achieved the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

At the same time, he noted an important setback in regional health gains. "In November, the Region of the Americas lost its measles elimination status following the re-establishment of endemic transmission," he said. PAHO is working closely with Member States to strengthen surveillance, trace transmission chains and accelerate immunization efforts, with a commitment to restoring the Region's measles-free status, he added.

Dr. Barbosa stressed that primary health care remains central to transforming health systems and expanding equitable access to services. Through the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas - led jointly by PAHO, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank - nearly US$1 billion has been mobilized to strengthen first-level care. In 2025, Chile, Paraguay and Panama joined the initiative, bringing total membership to five countries. He also noted that a total of 10 countries have joined the initiative as of today.

He also highlighted the expansion of the HEARTS in the Americas initiative, which now operates in more than 10,000 primary health care centers across 28 countries, providing standardized hypertension treatment to more than 6 million people. In countries where the initiative has been fully implemented, six out of ten patients achieve blood pressure control - nearly double the regional average.

Surveillance, preparedness and response

Dr. Barbosa underscored the importance of preparedness and rapid response capacities. In 2025, PAHO's regional surveillance system verified more than 2.1 million alerts and detected 157 public health events. The Organization responded to more than 38 public health emergencies, including outbreaks of dengue, mpox and measles, as well as the impacts of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.

In Haiti, he said PAHO supported 59 health facilities, strengthened cholera surveillance and helped sustain essential health services in coordination with broader inter-American efforts, including the OAS Haiti Road Map.

Across the Caribbean, PAHO deployed 16 Emergency Medical Teams and delivered more than 23 tons of emergency supplies to support Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti. The inauguration of the new Emergency Operations Center in Barbados marked an important step in strengthening regional preparedness and response capacity.

Access, regional production and digital transformation

Dr. Barbosa highlighted advances in access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies through PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds, which in 2025 procured nearly US$1 billion in supplies and delivered more than 230 million vaccine doses to 33 countries and nine territories. He also noted expanded access to high-cost medicines for cancer and rare diseases, generating significant savings for Member States.

He pointed to a landmark agreement in Argentina between the government, Sinergium Biotech, Pfizer and PAHO for regional production of a pneumococcal vaccine, which will be made available through the Revolving Funds to improve access and affordability.

Digital transformation also accelerated, with 20 countries advancing interoperability, telehealth and the responsible use of artificial intelligence through the Pan American Highway for Digital Health initiative.

"The results are visible on the ground," Dr. Barbosa said, citing examples such as drones delivering medicines in remote areas of Panama and artificial intelligence supporting tuberculosis screening in prisons in Paraguay.

Institutional strengthening and cooperation with OAS

Dr. Barbosa noted that for the 2026-2027 biennium, PAHO's budget has been reduced by 19%, resulting in fewer fixed posts and continued cost-containment measures, including reduced travel and prioritization of essential recruitment.

He also highlighted PAHO's institutional modernization through the PAHO Forward 3.0 initiative, which generated more than US$7 million in savings in 2025 through improved efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Dr. Barbosa welcomed the recent OAS General Assembly resolution on mental health, which calls for the creation of an inter-American working group in coordination with PAHO. "We are honored by this trust and are already working to translate this hemispheric priority into concrete actions and results," he said.

He reaffirmed PAHO's commitment to strengthening technical cooperation with the OAS on issues including Haiti, laboratory biosafety and the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

"As the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System, PAHO will continue working alongside Member States to strengthen partnerships and translate these efforts into sustainable health results," Dr. Barbosa said.

"Because when we cooperate in health, we protect lives, strengthen institutions and build more resilient societies," he added. "The Americas will continue to be a region that cares, innovates and advances together."