Brasilia, November 6, 2024 – The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) took a decisive step toward health cooperation in the Amazon in a meeting held at ACTO’s headquarters in Brasília. The meeting, led by Vanessa Grazziotin, Executive Director of ACTO, and Piedad Huerta, Head of PAHO’s Country and Subregional Coordination Office, marked the start of a subregional health strategy for South America, slated for implementation in 2025.
In her opening remarks, Grazziotin expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration, highlighting the importance of working together to address health challenges in the Amazon. “We are very pleased to receive this important visit. We believe this continues a dialogue we had already started, which we can now translate into a joint work plan,” she said.
Huerta, in turn, underscored the importance of aligning both organizations’ priorities to improve health conditions in the region. “We are here to work hand in hand, open to listening and sharing, because we want this to be a space for dialogue where we can analyze the strategic priorities of both organizations,” she noted.
The meeting included presentations on ACTO’s and PAHO’s work frameworks and priority areas, followed by a Q&A session to identify common areas of interest. Topics discussed included Indigenous health, climate change, and access to health services in rural areas, with the goal of establishing a comprehensive cooperation strategy for the next five years.
This meeting marks the beginning of a closer collaboration between ACTO and PAHO, focused on strengthening public health in the Amazon and promoting sustainable development in the region. The agenda specifies that conversations will continue on November 8, with another session aimed at finalizing the key points of this regional strategy.
