This plan, approved by the Organization’s 62nd Directing Council, was shaped by extensive consultations with countries and stakeholders, and commits to transformative health outcomes over the next six years, tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, health security, fragmented healt ... h systems and services, and the elimination of communicable diseases, amongst others. “The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that the Region of the Americas is stronger when we work together,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. “This Strategic Plan harnesses our collective strength to build resilient health systems, reduce disease burden, and improve health and well-being for all across the Americas.” The plan builds on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed gaps in health systems while highlighting the power of joint action. It targets measurable impacts in countries, such as reducing maternal mortality, reversing rising suicide rates, and eliminating diseases like leprosy and Chagas. more

This introductory level channel provides a general overview of the National Action Planning for Health Security (NAPHS) process and methodology. This includes the critical steps necessary to support the development, implementation and monitoring of 5-year strategic NAPHS as well as 12/24 month opera ... tional NAPHS. more

Parliaments and parliamentarians play a unique and powerful role in achieving health security preparedness through their various responsibilities: law-making, oversight, budgetary allocation, and citizen representation. High-level reviews of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the impor ... tance of state capacity, social trust, and leadership when it comes to health emergency preparedness. Parliaments and parliamentarians are extremely well positioned to support, build, and strengthen these three aspects. more

Medical care for people caught up in armed conflict and other insecure environments saves lives and alleviates suffering. It is one of the most immediate and high priority needs of an affected population and is often the first type of response activated and/or requested by authorities and affected c ... ommunities. Medical teams working in armed conflict and other insecure environments frequently face serious threats to their security and safety, challenges to patient access, and at times limited acceptance by affected communities in which they work and parties to the conflict. Such difficulties are likely to increase (6) and thereby creating a critical need to establish contact and trust with all sides in conflicts and in other insecure environments to ensure operational continuity. This trust can best be achieved when all sides perceive the medical teams to be neutral, impartial, and independent, and specifically not aiding (or being perceived to aid) any one party to achieve a military, political or economic advantage. For medical teams that are deploying increasingly closer to the frontlines, the implications of and consequences for both staff and patients of teams not being fully prepared, and/or not fully comprehending the context in which they work, can be severe. Medical response can easily be hindered or compromised by intentional or unintentional acts and the behaviour and conduct of the teams themselves more

En esta publicación, también conocida como Libro rojo, se ofrece un marco de orientación y se introducen requisitos de verificación adicionales para los equipos médicos que estén en fase de preparación o que ya estén participando en la respuesta a emergencias de salud, en conflictos armados ... y otros entornos inseguros. El Libro rojo se sustenta en el imperativo humanitario de actuar y no retrasar la atención médica. En este sentido, ofrece un marco importante para guiar y mejorar la seguridad y el acceso de los equipos mientras las Naciones Unidas, los países y las partes beligerantes realizan esfuerzos diplomáticos para encontrar una solución pacífica y duradera al conflicto o situación de inseguridad. more

Health security, vol. 18, Suppl.1. Finally, the lack of defined RRT standard operating procedures covering both nonemergency maintenance measures and the multistage emergency response processes required for RRT function can delay the RRT’s response time and effectiveness. These findings highlight ... the importance of planning to preemptively address these challenges to ensure rapid and effective response measures, ultimately strengthening global health security. more