Ingenious nation experiences demonstrate how main healthcare can speed up health system change in the Americas

Barbados, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Guyana shared experiences on reinforcing Primary Health Care through targeted actions in health labor force, services company and system’s preparation throughout the 63rd PAHO Directing Council.

Washington, D.C., 29 September, 2026 (PAHO)– Innovative methods to change health systems based upon main healthcare (PHC) were highlighted today throughout a rundown session at the 63rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The session, “Accelerating Action in Primary Health Care: Innovative Experiences from the Americas,” combined health authorities and partners to share useful experiences from throughout the area and talk about how nations are utilizing PHC approaches to provide more effective and reliable care.

“Primary Health Care is the path through which we broaden gain access to, lower injustices, enhance health security, and enhance health results. It stays our most reliable technique for changing health systems and advancing the health and wellness of individuals of the Americas,” stated PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

The session highlighted experiences from Barbados, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Guyana, showing how nations are adjusting main healthcare techniques to their nationwide top priorities and contexts.

Barbados provided an ingenious debt-for-health swap to activate extra resources for health systems improvement based upon main healthcare. This ingenious system will produce funds to be directed to top priority health programs, consisting of efforts to resolve noncommunicable illness and youth weight problems through a main healthcare technique.

Guyana provided its experience changing nursing education through a hybrid design that integrates digital knowing, medical simulation and monitored scientific practice. The method is broadening chances for nursing education beyond metropolitan centers and enhancing the health labor force required to supply care in neighborhoods. In August, Guyana finished its very first mate of 669 nurses through the program, bringing proficient specialists better to the neighborhoods that require them most.

Bolivia provided its continuous health sector preparation procedure, which positions main healthcare at the center of its health change program. With assistance from PAHO and the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, the nation is advancing incorporated, people-centered services and broadening access to take care of all.

In the Dominican Republic, the HEARTS effort shows how main healthcare can reinforce the avoidance, detection and control of high blood pressure and diabetes through evidence-based interventions incorporated into more responsive and people-centered health service networks. The nation is likewise resolving the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas to reinforce the very first level of care and enhance coordination throughout health services.

The session likewise consisted of a panel on partner engagement in main healthcare, with agents from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)– in addition to from MSD for Mothers. The conversation highlighted the value of continual cooperation, technical assistance and financial investment to assist nations advance PHC-based health system improvement.

Dr. Barbosa highlighted the tactical partnership with the World Bank and IDB through the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas, which lines up technical cooperation and financial investment with nationwide concerns.

Given that 2023, the Alliance has actually supported 13 nations in the Region to speed up development, financial investment and execution of main healthcare according to nationwide top priorities. PAHO is likewise dealing with partners, consisting of MSD for Mothers, to speed up decreases in maternal death and assistance illness removal through a main healthcare method.

“Our obstacle is no longer to show that Primary Health Care works. The proof is clear. Now we need to accelerate its application, enhance the developments that are producing outcomes, and set in motion the collaborations and financial investments required to broaden their effect,” Dr. Barbosa stated.

The session highlighted that nations are taking various techniques according to their nationwide contexts, while reinforcing main healthcare stays a structure for broadening gain access to, decreasing injustices and developing more incorporated, people-centered health systems throughout the Americas.