Antigua and Barbuda has been elected to serve as Vice-President of the 63rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), strengthening the country’s participation in regional health leadership and decision-making.
The country is represented at the meeting by the Honourable Michael Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, who was appointed Vice-President of the Directing Council during the meeting in Washington, D.C.
The 63rd Directing Council brings together Ministers of Health and senior health officials from across the Americas to address key regional health priorities and strengthen cooperation.
During the meeting, Minister Joseph delivered Antigua and Barbuda’s intervention under Agenda Item 3.2, expressing appreciation for the Annual Report of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, “Delivering Health Gains across the Americas through Resilience and Innovation.”
Minister Joseph highlighted PAHO’s continued technical support to Antigua and Barbuda, including assistance with the National Strategic Plan for Health 2026–2031, disease elimination initiatives, cervical cancer elimination, maintaining the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, pandemic preparedness, mental health and the HEARTS Initiative.
He also acknowledged PAHO’s support through the Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines, which continues to play an important role in safeguarding the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization amid growing vaccine hesitancy and increasing transportation costs.
Further assistance has included implementation of the Global School-based Student Health Survey and Global Youth Tobacco Survey, strengthening laboratory capacity through the Pandemic Fund, and applying the Information Systems for Health framework to enhance disease surveillance.
Minister Joseph underscored the importance of strengthening the health workforce and infrastructure as essential components of sustainable development and universal health coverage.
Antigua and Barbuda reaffirmed its appreciation for PAHO’s continued partnership and its commitment to advancing health equity, strengthening resilience and improving health outcomes.
The 63rd Directing Council is being held in Washington, D.C., from September 28 to October 2, 2026, bringing together health authorities from across the Americas to address regional health priorities and strengthen cooperation.
Antigua and Barbuda’s appointment to the Vice-Presidency provides the country with an opportunity to contribute to the leadership and deliberations of the Directing Council while advancing cooperation on shared health priorities across the Region.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Elected Vice-President of PAHO’s 63rd Directing Council.