The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Civil Service Affairs & the Environment was represented by the Acting Principal Nursing Officer, Mrs. Almarie Coates at the Second high level, Regional Meeting of the Primary Health Care Alliance for the Americas, under the theme:
Primary Health Care as an Accelerator of Health System Transformation in the Americas.
The meeting took place in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, during the period January 26th -28th 2026.
This was a joint initiative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), The world Bank, and the inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Over two hundred participants representing twenty-four countries took part in this high-level meeting, these included:
The Director of Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barbosa,and Assistant Director, Dr Rhonda Sealy Thomas, Ministers of Health from the Caribbean and Latin America. Directors of Primary Health Care Services in the Caribbean and Latin America. Principal/ Chief Nursing Officers.
In this meeting, a review of the progress achieved and the definition of the next phase of collective action were done. This event also served as a strategic platform for exchange, learning and alignment among Ministries of Health, technical partners and financial institutions with the shared goals of accelerating the transformation of Primary Health Care centered health systems.
Objectives of the meeting were:
• Review country trajectories in implementing PHC as an accelerator of Health system
• Exchange innovative experiences in national-level PHC implementation that demonstrate improvements in access, outcomes, and efficiency
• Identify opportunities to expand investment and innovation in integrated, people centered service delivery
• Take stock of the alliance’s progress in meeting its objectives and strengthening regional collaboration
• Reaffirm the strategic value of the alliance for primary Health Care and establish a renewed commitment from its members to deepen joint action in Primary Health care based health transformation.
The Alliance for Primary health Care in the Americas was launched in December 2023 at Montevideo, Uruguay as a unique regional mechanism to accelerate Primary health Care implementation through investment, and innovation.
Its purpose is to support countries in transforming their health systems through joint action, coordinated policy guidance and harmonized investment planning