OAS and PAHO to work together for universal health coverage

The Joint Declaration made by the OAS General Secretariat and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to work towards universal health coverage was timely, as Member States gathered at the General Assembly to discuss “Development with social inclusion”. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, noted  the significance and timing of the agreement, adding that the lack of access to health coverage in the region “is linked to the social inequalities that exist in our societies.”  

PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne, noted that “the objective of this agreement is to strengthen cooperation between both institutions in the area of social inclusion”, who also stressed the importance of this issue in the Western Hemisphere “the area of the world with the greatest inequality.”  

The Joint Declaration “Social Protection in Health: Advancing Towards Universal Health Coverage” will be advanced by OAS-SEDI through its Inter-American Social Protection Network (IASPN), as it coincides with its goal of promoting the development and implementation of social protection policies, including more equitable and integrated health systems.  

The relevance of this issue is also echoed by Member States in the Social Charter of the Americas, signed in the framework of the OAS, which establishes that “that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right of all persons without discrimination and they recognize that health is an essential condition for social inclusion and cohesion, integral development, and economic growth with equity."

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