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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