BOGOTÁ, Colombia, CMC – The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Dr Carissa F Etienne, says collective efforts are needed to transform health systems in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 7th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research here, Etienne highlighted the importance of joining efforts to transform health systems, achieve universal health and improve human security.

“We have important work to do through conferences, such as this, to reposition the value of science within our societies, and to strengthen institutional mechanisms that evaluate scientific evidence to guide future policy making and actions in public health,” said the PAHO director in recalling the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whether we are looking at the assessment of therapeutics during pandemic times, or the impact of investments in primary health care, we need to increase our capacity to generate evidence based on research,” added Etienne, as she addressed the symposium held under the theme, ‘Health Systems Performance in the Political Agenda: Sharing Lessons for Current and Future Global Challenges’.

Etienne said this means greater collaboration between government and the scientific communities, increasing promotion and investment in health systems assessments and performance, and the adoption of research outcomes by policymakers.

“And it means engaging more broadly society in the importance and merits of research, science, and the use of evidence,” she emphasised.

She reiterated that beyond COVID-19, “we continue to face new threats such as the monkeypox outbreak, which was declared a public health emergency of international concern last July.

“The resilience of our health personnel and systems is again being tested as cases continue to rise in parts of our region,” the PAHO director said. “Meanwhile, the burden of chronic disease continues to grow, with increasing rates of mortality, morbidity and disability.”

Etienne called on researchers, policymakers and government officials to “keep the focus on the overarching goal of health systems that are inclusive, expansive, and resilient to the growing number of health threats in the context of a changing climate and world.”

She stressed that PAHO remains committed to working with member states, the scientific community and society as a whole “to generate, promote, and disseminate information for health actions based on the best evidence.”

In December, PAHO will celebrate 120 years of active work in the field of public health in the Americas.