RESOLUTIONS

CE126.R1    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the report of the Director on the collection of quota contributions (Document CE126/21 and Add. I) and the report on Member States in arrears in the payment of their quota contributions to the extent that they can be subject to the application of Article 6.B of the Constitution of the Pan American Health Organization;

Noting the provisions of Article 6.B of the PAHO Constitution relating to the suspension of voting privileges of Member States that fail to meet their financial obligations and the potential application of these provisions to six Member States; and

Noting with concern that there are 26 Member States that have not made any payments towards their 2000 quota assessments and that the amount collected for 2000 assessments represents only 27% of total current year assessments,

1. To take note of the report of the Director on the collection of quota contributions (Document CE126/21 and Add. I).

2. To thank the Member States that have already made payments for 2000 and to urge the other Member States to pay their outstanding contributions as soon as possible.

3. To recommend to the 42nd Directing Council that the voting restrictions contained in Article 6.B of the PAHO Constitution be strictly applied to those Member States that by the opening of that session have not made substantial payments toward their quota commitments, and to those that have failed to make the scheduled payments in accordance with their deferred payment plans.

4. To request the Director to continue to inform the Member States of any balances due, and to report to the 42nd Directing Council on the status of the collection of quota contributions.

June 2000, 126/FR, 59-60

 

 

CE126.R2    The Executive Committee,

Having reviewed the report on actions taken by the Secretariat in relation to the approved projects financed by the PAHO Building Fund and the status of the PAHO Headquarters Building renovation (Document CE126/22);

Recalling that, at the Director’s request, in December 1999 the Members of the Executive Committee approved a temporary increase of US$ 7.5 million in the Building Fund ceiling, based on preliminary renovation cost estimates; and

Considering that the renovation cost estimate is $13 million,

To approve a temporary increase in the Building Fund ceiling to a level of $13 million for the purpose of completing the PAHO Headquarters Building renovation, with the increase to be financed from any excess of income over expenditures in the regular budget and from other sources that may be identified.

June 2000, 126/FR, 60

 

 

CE126.R3    The Executive Committee,

Having received the report presented by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming corresponding to the 33rd and 34th Sessions (Document CE126/5);

Taking into account Resolution CE82.R13 of the 82nd Session of the Executive Committee (1979), which created the Subcommittee on Long-term Planning and Programming, and Resolutions CE92.R12 (1984) and CE118.R2 (1996); and

Taking note of the analysis and discussions that took place during the 33rd Session of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming with respect to the operations of the Subcommittee,

1. To thank the President of the Subcommittee for the report presented.

2. To change the terms of reference of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming, Section 4, “Meetings,” so that the first paragraph reads: “The Subcommittee shall normally hold one regular session a year on dates to be decided by the Executive Committee at its session immediately following the Directing Council or the Pan American Sanitary Conference. Extraordinary sessions may be held.”

June 2000, 126/FR, 60-61

 

 

CE126.R4    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the report of the Director on vaccines and immunization (Document CE126/10); and

Taking into account the progress being made by all countries in the control of vaccinepreventable diseases and their efforts to complete the eradication of measles by the year 2000, and in the introduction of new vaccines into their national immunization programs,

To recommend to the Directing Council the adoption of a resolution along the following lines:

Having considered the report of the Director on vaccines and immunization (Document CD42/___) and taking note of the progress being made by all countries in the control of vaccine-preventable diseases;

Taking into account that there is still a considerable number of children who are not receiving the benefits of immunization;

Cognizant of the fact that major efforts are needed to achieve the goal of measles eradication by the end of the year 2000; and

Considering that the sustainability of immunization programs and control/eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases require a permanent effort by the health sector at all levels,

1. To urge Member States to:

(a) maintain a high degree of priority in the financing of their national immunization programs, including the costs related to the introduction of new vaccines;

(b) target a 95% vaccination coverage for all antigens in every district of the country as the national goal;

(c) ensure that all measures necessary to interrupt the transmission of measles are put in place, including those related to mop-up operations and strengthening of surveillance and complete case investigation;

(d) initiate activities related to the containment of any laboratory material that may harbor specimens of wild poliovirus, to ensure that global certification of eradication is eventually accomplished;

(e) implement periodic multidisciplinary evaluations of their national immunization programs to identify any constraints that may hamper the equitable access to measures aimed at the control of vaccine-preventable diseases;

(f) ensure that all vaccines used in national immunization programs comply with national and international standards.

2. Request the Director to:

(a) collaborate with Member States in the containment of biological material that may harbor the wild poliovirus;

(b) support the networks of national control authorities and national control laboratories to ensure that vaccines of reliable quality are used in all countries;

(c) support the national program evaluations in coordination with other collaborating partners;

(d) assist the relevant Member States in benefiting maximally from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

June 2000, 126/FR, 61-3

 

 

CE126.R5    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the report on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Americas (Document CE126/9 and Add. I),

To recommend to the Directing Council the adoption of a resolution along the following lines:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered the report on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Americas (Document CD42/___);

Acknowledging the strong relationship between the sexual and vertical transmission of HIV and the presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STI);

Cognizant of the evolution of the HIV/AIDS/STI epidemics in the Americas and of the challenges raised by the increasing numbers of people requiring comprehensive prevention and care services for HIV/AIDS/STI; and

Taking into account the technological developments and successful interventions and experiences in the Region and in the world to prevent and control the sexual, blood-borne, and mother-to-child transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,

1. To urge Member States to:

(a) consolidate national HIV/AIDS/STI efforts and foster technical cooperation and maximize intercountry collaboration through regional, subregional, and national programs and initiatives;

(b) strengthen the surveillance capacity of the technical programs to better monitor the trends in the HIV/AIDS/STI epidemics and adjust national responses and strategies accordingly;

(c) continue to focus on prevention, especially the sexual and mother-to-child transmission of HIV, through voluntary counseling and testing and provision of appropriate preventive measures including drugs and breast-feeding policies based on scientific advances;

(d) consider prevention of HIV and care of people living with HIV/AIDS as a continuum requiring a comprehensive approach that responds to local needs and uses resources efficiently ("building blocks" approach).

2. To request the Director to:

(a) continue to facilitate a wider participation and collaboration with other institutions and agencies, particularly with UNAIDS, in the fight against HIV/AIDS/STI in the Americas;

(b) strengthen regional technical collaboration capacity, especially in the areas of social marketing and communication, promotion of healthy sexuality, and comprehensive prevention of HIV and care of people living with HIV/AIDS/STI;

(c) continue working toward the development of the Regional Revolving Fund for Strategic Public Health Supplies and mechanisms whereby Member States can access the Fund.

June 2000, 126/FR, 63-5

 

 

CE126.R6    The Executive Committee,

Having reviewed the evaluation of the Regional Program on Bioethics (Document CE126/11), carried out in compliance with Resolution CD37.R9 (1993) by Dr. James F. Drane; and

Convinced that the evaluation demonstrated that the Program has fulfilled its objectives in accordance with the goals set at its establishment and continued operation of the Bioethics Program since its inception, as well as for their commitment to continue support for the Program; and

Emphasizing that bioethical analysis should become an integral part of policy formulation and decision-making in the health sector, particularly in processes involving improving quality of health care and research and increasing equity in access to health care services,

1. To encourage Member States to incorporate the development of the capacity for bioethical analysis within the normative and stewardship functions of the ministries of health and to formulate public policies in health informed by bioethical principles, particularly with regard to research with human subjects.

2. To request the Director to continue support of the Program, promoting the inclusion of bioethical analysis in technical cooperation activities and stimulating capacity building in bioethics in the Member States.

June 2000, 126/FR, 65-6

 

 

CE126.R7    The Executive Committee,

Having considered Document CE126/12, which describes the problems of food protection throughout the world and in the Region of the Americas in particular and the action that the Pan American Health Organization is taking to cooperate technically with the countries to establish food protection programs; and

Taking into account that the 33rd Session of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming analyzed the situation and was in agreement with the technical cooperation activities that the Organization is carrying out,

To recommend to the Directing Council that it adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having analyzed the report on food protection in the Americas (Document CD42/____), which describes the current problems deriving from foodborne diseases and the action that the Pan American Health Organization is taking to assist the countries in solving these problems through technical cooperation to organize food protection programs; Taking into account that the Fifty-third World Health Assembly adopted Resolution WHA53.15 on food safety, emphasizing the importance of this topic as an essential public health activity;

Considering that, according to the reports prepared by the Pan American Health Organization through the Pan American Institute for Food Protection and Zoonoses (INPPAZ), a significant number of outbreaks of foodborne disease have been observed, with a high number of cases and deaths from this cause; and

Bearing in mind that international trade poses a high risk for outbreaks of foodborne disease unless technical action is taken to prevent food contamination,

1. To urge Member States to:

(a) organize food protection programs as an essential public health function, promoting active coordination among the health and agriculture sectors and industry;

(b) update and modernize their food inspection and protection systems, taking into account the Codex Alimentarius standards and the sanitary measures contained in the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards;

(c) consider, when implementing food safety measures, food for both domestic consumption and the export market, as well as medium and small enterprises;

(d) strengthen the surveillance systems for foodborne diseases so that the information obtained can be used to orient measures for the prevention and control of these diseases;

(e) encourage the active participation of producers, food processors, food handlers, and consumers through communication and health education programs;

(f) provide the necessary resources for the development of food protection programs.

2. To thank the Government of Argentina for its continued support for the maintenance and operation of INPPAZ, and to urge the rest of the countries to contribute to its financing.

3. To request that the Director:

(a) continue with the development and execution of the strategic plan on food protection;

(b) explore the need for a regional commission on food protection to deal with matters related to the development of regional policies in this area;

(c) establish mechanisms for coordination with other international technical cooperation agencies to offer the pertinent technical cooperation to the countries, avoid duplication of efforts, and make better use of resources.

June 2000, 126/FR, 66-8

 

 

CE126.R8    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the Director’s report (Document CE126/14) on medical devices;

Considering that, in the exercise of the steering role of the health sector, it is an essential function of the health authority to safeguard the efficacy, safety, and quality of the medical devices utilized by the health services and the population; and

Recognizing that is necessary to establish a process for the planning, implementation, and management of technologies to guarantee the efficient operation of the health services network,

1. To thank the Government of Canada for preparing the document and presenting the topic to the 34th Session of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming.

2. To recommend that the Directing Council adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered Document CD42/___ on medical devices;

Considering that, in the exercise of the steering role of the health sector, it is an essential function of the health authority to safeguard the efficacy, safety, and quality of the medical devices utilized by the health services and the population;

Recognizing that is necessary to establish a process for the planning, implementation, and management of technologies to guarantee the efficient operation of the health services network; and

Taking note of the recommendation of the Executive Committee,

1. To endorse the recommendations on medical devices contained in Document CD42/___ and to support the work of PAHO in this field.

2. To support the proposal to form an ad hoc group to promote and facilitate the medical devices harmonization processes in the Americas.

3. To urge the Member States to:

(a) develop and strengthen their programs for the regulation of medical devices;

(b) promote and support the participation of their regulatory authorities at the general meetings of the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) and those of its four study groups, while promoting the use of GHTF documents in their programs for the regulation of medical devices.

4. To request the Director to continue his support to the governments for the development and implementation of programs to regulate medical devices and to support the search for sources of financing for the activities of the proposed program of work for the biennium 2000-2001.

June 2000, 126/FR, 68-70

 

 

CE126.R9    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the Director’s report (Document CE126/15) on drug regulatory harmonization in the Americas,

Taking into account that the drug regulatory harmonization processes are fundamental for guaranteeing the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs;

Recognizing that other regions and subregional groups of countries in the Americas with different levels of development are making efforts at the global level to move forward with drug regulatory harmonization;

Aware that, through its plans of work, the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization will represent a concrete regional option for this process; and Observing that drug regulatory harmonization offers health, economic, and technical advantages for the countries committed to its implementation,

1. To thank the Government of the United States of America for presenting the topic at the 34th Session of the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming.

2. To recommend that the Directing Council adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered the Director’s report (Document CD42/___) on drug regulatory harmonization in the Americas;

Taking into account that the drug regulatory harmonization processes are fundamental for guaranteeing the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs;

Recognizing that other regions and subregional groups of countries in the Americas with different levels of development are making efforts at the global level to move forward with drug regulatory harmonization;

Aware that, through its plans of work, the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization will represent a concrete regional option for this process; and

Observing that drug regulatory harmonization offers health, economic, and technical advantages for the countries committed to its implementation,

1. To urge the Member States to:

(a) review the current drug policies, with a view to adopting new policies that will ensure access to drugs that are safe, effective, and of acceptable quality;

(b) strengthen the infrastructure currently in place for regulating drugs to permit regulation that is expeditious but technically acceptable;

(c) support national implementation of the agreements and recommendations arising out of the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) support the establishment of the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization and strengthen the role of PAHO as its Secretariat;

(b) promote progress toward technical agreements on drug regulation among the Member States, including multilateral, bilateral, and subregional agreements, with the participation of all sectors and interest groups;

(c) promote the search for sources of financing for this process and the plan of work.

June 2000, 126/FR, 70-2

 

 

CE126.R10    The Executive Committee,

Having examined the Financial Report of the Director and Report of the External Auditor for 1998-1999 (Official Document 297),

1. To transmit the Financial Report of the Director and Report of the External Auditor for 1998-1999 (Official Document 297) to the 42nd Directing Council for its consideration.

2. To note that the financial statements for the 1998-1999 biennium are presented in accordance with the United Nations System Accounting Standards, with resulting improvement in the disclosure and clarity of the statements.

3. To commend the Organization on its efforts to monitor and strengthen the financial positions of the Caribbean Epidemiology Center, the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute, and the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama, including additional sources of support, and encouraging further joint efforts to develop and implement strategies for improving their financial positions.

4. To congratulate the Director on his successful efforts to maintain a sound financial position for the Organization.

5. To thank the External Auditor for the Report on Strategic Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation in PAHO.

June 2000, 126/FR, 72

 

 

CE126.R11    The Executive Committee,

Having considered Document CE126/8, which contains a tentative request to the World Health Organization for US$ 74,682,000 without cost increases for the Region of the Americas for the financial period 2002-2003,

To recommend to the 42nd Directing Council the adoption of a resolution along the following lines:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered Document CD42/_____ and the tentative request to the World Health Organization for US$ 74,682,000 without cost increases for the Region of the Americas for the financial period 2002-2003; and

Noting the recommendation of the Executive Committee,

To request the Director to transmit to the Director-General of WHO the request for $74,682,000 without cost increases for the Region of the Americas for the financial period 2002-2003, for consideration by the WHO Executive Board and the World Health Assembly in 2001.

June 2000, 126/FR, 73

 

 

CE126.R12    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the amendments to the Staff Rules of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau submitted by the Director in the Annex to Document CE126/23;

Taking into account the actions of the Fifty-third World Health Assembly related to the remuneration of the Regional Directors and Senior Advisors and the Director-General; Bearing in mind the provisions of Staff Rule 020 and Staff Regulation 3.1 of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, and Resolution CD20.R20 of the 20th Directing Council; and

Recognizing the need for uniformity of conditions of employment of PASB and WHO staff,

1. To confirm the amendments to the Staff Rules of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau submitted by the Director in the Annex to Document CE126/23, with effect from 1 March 2000, concerning the salary scale and staff assessment rates for use in conjunction with gross base salaries applicable to staff in the professional category and directors’ posts.

2. To establish, effective 1 March 2000:

(a) the net annual salary of the Deputy Director at $99,278 at dependency rate and $89,899 at single rate;

(b) the annual net salary of the Assistant Director at $98,278 at dependency rate and $88,899 at single rate.

3. To recommend to the 42nd Directing Council that it establish the annual salary of the Director at $108,242 at dependency rate and $97,411 at single rate, effective 1 March 2000.

June 2000, 126/FR, 74

 

 

CE126.R13    The Executive Committee,

Having examined the provisional agenda (Document CD42/1) prepared by the Director for the 42nd Directing Council of PAHO, 52nd Session of the Regional Committee of WHO for the Americas, presented as Annex to Document CE126/4; and

Bearing in mind the provisions of Article 12.C of the Constitution of the Pan American Health Organization and Rule 7 of the Rules of Procedure of the Council,

To approve the provisional agenda (Document CD42/1) prepared by the Director for the 42nd Directing Council of PAHO, 52nd Session of the Regional Committee of WHO for the Americas, with the modifications proposed by the Executive Committee.

June 2000, 126/FR, 75

 

 

CE126.R14    The Executive Committee,

Having examined the report of the Award Committee of the PAHO Award for Administration, 2000 (Document CE126/6, Add. I); and

Bearing in mind the provisions of the procedures and guidelines for conferring the PAHO Award for Administration, as approved by the 18th Pan American Sanitary Conference (1970) and amended by the 24th Pan American Sanitary Conference (1994) and the 124th Session of the Executive Committee (1999),

1. To note the decision of the Award Committee to confer the PAHO Award for Administration, 2000, on Dr. Roberto Fuentes García, of Chile, for his long and fruitful efforts in the field of public health administration, focusing particularly on effective management, the quality of care and user satisfaction, and for his important contribution to the national and international literature in these areas.

2. To transmit the report of the Award Committee of the PAHO Award for Administration, 2000 (Document CE126/6, Add. I), to the 42nd Directing Council.

June 2000, 126/FR, 75-6

 

 

CE126.R15    The Executive Committee,

Having studied the report of the Standing Committee on Nongovernmental Organizations (Document CE126/7, Add. I);

Mindful of the provisions of the Principles Governing Relations between the Pan American Health Organization and Nongovernmental Organizations (1995); and

Believing that the changes proposed to the Principles are rational and would facilitate their application,

1. To approve the revised version of the Principles Governing Relations between the Pan American Health Organization and Nongovernmental Organizations contained in the Annex to Document CE126/7, Add. I.

2. To admit the Latin American Association of Pharmaceutical Industries into official relations with PAHO for a four-year period.

3. To renew official relations for a four-year period with the Inter-American College of Radiology, the Latin American Federation of Hospitals, the Pan American Federation of Associations of Medical Schools, and the Pan American Federation of Nursing Professionals.

4. To extend official relations with the Latin American Confederation of Clinical Biology and the Latin American Union against Sexually Transmitted Diseases for a two-year period, and to request the Standing Committee, during the 130th Session of the Executive Committee in 2002, to review the progress that COLABIOCLI and ULACETS have made in addressing the Standing Committee’s concerns and to make a recommendation on the desirability of continuing these relations.

5. To request the Director to:

(a) advise the respective NGOs of the decisions taken by the Executive Committee;

(b) continue developing dynamic working relations with inter-American NGOs whose areas of interest fall within the program priorities that the Governing Bodies have adopted for PAHO;

(c) assess the relevance of the relationship with inter-American NGOs working officially with PAHO, encouraging more participation and collaboration;

(d) continue fostering relationships between Member States and NGOs in health-related fields;

(e) expand PAHO's relations with the wider community of NGOs concerned with confronting the challenge of AIDS in the Americas and in other areas of interest to PAHO.

June 2000, 126/FR, 76-7

 

 

CE126.R16    The Executive Committee,

Having analyzed the report on cardiovascular disease, and especially hypertension (Document CE126/13);

Given the magnitude of cardiovascular problems and bearing in mind the cost-effectiveness of interventions for the prevention and control of these diseases, especially interventions to control hypertension; and

Considering that the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming examined the alternatives to improve the control and prevention of hypertension and expressed support for the approaches presented to address this problem,

To recommend to the Directing Council that it adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Taking into account the information provided in document CD42/___ on cardiovascular disease, and especially hypertension;

Given the magnitude of cardiovascular problems, which constitute the leading cause of death and disability in all the countries of the Americas;

Bearing in mind the cost-effectiveness of interventions for the prevention and control of these diseases, especially interventions to control hypertension; and

Recognizing the need to adopt measures for the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease in general and hypertension in particular,

1. To urge the Member States to:

(a) implement systems for surveillance of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and noncommunicable diseases in general;

(b) update their health policies to strengthen and prioritize community and health service interventions, especially in primary care, that will lead to the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in particular;

(c) develop or strengthen national plans for the prevention and control of hypertension. 2. To request the Director to:

(a) establish the necessary measures for the mobilization of technical cooperation resources that will permit the creation or strengthening of national plans for the prevention and control of hypertension within the framework of an integrated strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases;

(b) encourage partnerships with scientific and professional societies, community organizations, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation and development agencies so that they support the proposed approaches and conduct research to improve the prevention and control of hypertension.

June 2000, 126/FR, 77-9

 

 

CE126.R17    The Executive Committee,

Having considered the report on child health (Document CE126/16); and

Aware that the Subcommittee on Planning and Programming reviewed the report and agreed with the proposed direction for supporting the promotion of integral child health and development,

To recommend to the Directing Council the adoption of a resolution along the following lines:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered the report on child health (Document CD42/___);

Recognizing the need to build a new, fuller concept of the importance of child health to a better future, based on the achievements of the past decade and the new knowledge and evidence contributed by various disciplines;

Taking into account that there are still unresolved issues related to children’s’ rights, equity in health, development opportunities, and solutions for basic health problems, as well as emerging issues affecting child health, yet aware of the importance of dealing with a broader public health agenda involving determinants and understanding that investment in child health is justified; and

Recognizing the moment as a critical one for the development of child health due to the global attention on the 10th anniversary evaluation of the World Summit for Children as well as the United Nations General Assembly special session planned for September 2001, when the agenda for children in the new millennium will be established,

1. To request the Member States to:

(a) institute national processes to review policies and legislation vis-à-vis their conformity with children’s’ rights, distribution of resources to achieve child and family friendliness, and community and environmental contributions to integral child health and development possibilities;

(b) maintain the topic of integral child health and development on the public agenda using, among other mechanisms, those available through the application of social communication methodologies, and joining in national and international efforts and networks promoting development in this area;

(c) include in the health sector reform processes a provision for the reorganization of health systems and services so that they reflect the urgent need to prioritize and invest in integral child health and development;

(d) contribute towards the improvement of child health through stimulating research activities, paying special attention to operationalizing integration at local levels, and developing monitoring and evaluation criteria.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) promote the mobilization of resources to enable adequate investment and advocate in national and international forums that priority attention be given to integral child health activities;

(b) support the development of a regional plan for action based on the framework suggested which would include multidisciplinary and multisectoral inputs and coordinated efforts with partner agencies;

(c) stimulate the development of a network of interested parties for the identification, testing, and evaluation of indicators that would reflect both process and achievements in monitoring child health programs whose focus is on the integration of health promotion with preventative and therapeutic efforts, i.e., criteria for evaluating health, and not just its absence;

(d) continue PAHO’s leadership role in the Americas in child and adolescent health and nutrition within the various regional and global venues, including the United Nations Special session of the General Assembly in 2001 for follow-up to the World Summit for Children, the Ibero-American Summits, and the Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas.

June 2000, 126/FR, 79-81

 

 

CE126.R18    The Executive Committee,

Having considered Document CE126/17 on essential public health functions; Taking into account that the Pan American Health Organization has implemented the Public Health in the Americas initiative, aimed at the definition and measurement of the essential public health functions as the basis for improving public health practice and strengthening the steering role of the health authority at all levels of the State; and

Considering the need for health sector reforms to pay greater attention to public health and to increase the social and institutional responsibility of the State in this regard,

1. To thank the Director for submitting the progress report on the Public Health in the Americas initiative and initiating activities aimed at strengthening the essential public health functions.

2. To recommend that the Directing Council adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered document CD42/____ on essential public health functions; Taking into account that the Pan American Health Organization has implemented the Public Health in the Americas initiative, aimed at the definition and measurement of the essential public health functions as the basis for improving public health practice and strengthening the steering role of the health authority at all levels of the State;

Considering the need for health sector reforms to pay greater attention to public health and to increase the social and institutional responsibility of the State in this regard; and Taking note of the recommendation of the 126th Session of the Executive Committee,

1. To urge the Member States to:

(a) participate in a regional exercise to measure performance with regard to the essential public health functions to permit an analysis of the state of public health in the Americas, sponsored by PAHO;

(b) use performance measurement with regard to the essential public health functions to improve public health practice, develop the necessary infrastructure for this purpose, and strengthen the steering role of the health authority at all levels of the State.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) disseminate widely in the countries of the Region the conceptual and methodological documentation on the definition and measurement of the essential public health functions;

(b) carry out, in close coordination with the national authorities of each country, an exercise in performance measurement with respect to the essential public health functions, using the methodology referred to in Document CD42/____;

(c) conduct a regional analysis of the state of public health in the Americas, based on a performance measurement exercise targeting the essential public health functions in each country;

(d) promote the reorientation of public health education in the Region in line with the development of the essential public health functions;

(e) incorporate the line of work on the essential public health functions into cooperation activities linked with sectoral reform and the strengthening of the steering role of the health authority.

June 2000, 126/FR, 81-3

 

 

CE126.R19    The Executive Committee,

Having considered Document CE126/18, which proposes that the Member States in which malaria is a public health problem join the Roll Back Malaria initiative spearheaded by the World Health Organization,

To recommend that the Directing Council adopt a resolution in the following terms:

THE 42nd DIRECTING COUNCIL,

Having considered Document CD42/___ which proposes that the Member States in which malaria continues to be a public health problem adopt the Roll Back Malaria initiative in their territory; and

Taking into account that this initiative, in addition to being consistent with the goal of promoting local health systems and services, encourages joint efforts to remove obstacles to the implementation of effective malaria control through the strategic lines of action of coordinated resource use, the establishment of a malaria drug policy, and the training of human resources to carry out the measures to control malaria transmission,

1. To urge the Member States to:

(a) formalize the adoption of the Roll Back Malaria initiative in territories where malaria still constitutes a public health problem;

(b) make a commitment to perform an annual evaluation of progress in the different areas of the initiative, until malaria is eliminated as a public health problem in the Region.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) continue to support the mechanisms for monitoring the progress of prevention and control programs;

(b) support the efforts aimed at mobilizing the necessary resources for the elimination of malaria in the Region.

June 2000, 126/FR, 83-4