PHA-Exchange> New Director of PAHO sets Commitments

[Maria Hamlin Zúniga]

¨We are committed to health for all, to the strategy of primary health care,
to health promotion, and to the reduction of inequities and social
exclusion¨ Dr. Mirta Roses.

Dr. Mirta Roses Sets Commitments as New Director of PAHO


      News and Public Information

            Dr. Mirta Roses Sets Commitments as New Director of PAHO
            Washington, January 30, 2003 (PAHO) - Renewing her commitment to
            work for public health in the Americas, Dr. Mirta Roses Periago
was
            sworn in today as the new director of the Pan American Health
            Organization (PAHO), becoming the first Argentine and first
woman to
            lead the Organization.


            "We are committed to health for all, to the strategy of primary
            health care strategy, to health promotion, and to the reduction
of
            inequities and social exclusion." Dr. Roses said. She said her
            commitments would include:
              Restore the Pan American Health Organization as the main forum
for
              health in the Americas, opening it to participation by all
sectors
              of society.
              Build consensus and forge alliances, strengthening the
continental
              and global solidarity, and gaining new social actors to defend
              health.
              Address the new dimensions of health in the processes of the
              economic, social and political integration of the continent.
              Advocate continuous improvement in health systems, promoting
rapid
              progress in access to health services and extending social
              protection in accordance with the mandates of the summits of
              presidents and heads of state.
              Renew the commitment and pride of all health workers and
              organizations, emphasizing the importance of quality of care,
              accountability, and evidence-based practices.
              Convert PAHO into the preeminent health information reference
              center, facilitating access to knowledge using all means
              available, including modern information systems and mass
              communication.
            The inauguration was held at the headquarters of PAHO, which
just
            celebrated its Centennial, with the children's choir of the
            Washington International School and the PAHO choir singing
folkloric
            songs of the Americas. In her first address as director, Dr.
Roses
            spoke to health ministers, ambassadors and PAHO staff. But she
also
            addressed indigenous and religious leaders, women who work in
            assembly plants, and the centenarians of Dominica and other
elderly
            persons, telling them, "This Director and her team will be
defending
            your health"
            After thanking outgoing Director Dr. George Alleyne, World
Health
            Organization Director Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Vice
President
            of Ecuador, Dr. Alfredo Palacio, the Minister of Health of
Ecuador,
            Dr. Francisco Andino, and representatives of the Organization of
            American States and of the Department of Health and Human
Services
            of the United States, Dr. Roses said that "I reaffirm my
commitment
            with emotion and pride as the first woman to assume the
direction of
            this centenary and prestigious Organization and to guide it at
the
            beginning of this new Millennium."
            Dr. Roses said, "The focus of my attention will be working in
and
            with the countries. Faithful to my profession as an
epidemiologist,
            I will seek contact with the communities and observe the
projects in
            the field."
            She pointed out the importance of communication and of
information
            exchange, noting that "This will be the century of networks, of
            connectivity and interdependence, which will make it possible
for us
            to overcome barriers of space and of time and open possibilities
            that were unimaginable to humankind." She added "If we promote
those
            networks so that they multiply exponentially the available
social
            capital, so they link people and institutions to support and
include
            all the people of the continent, we will have taken a
fundamental
            step for knowledge and experience in new ways to exchange
technical
            cooperation for sustainable human development."
            In a diverse continent, she said, the countries face difficult
            scenarios, including "Unfavorable economic conditions with
increases
            in poverty, aging of populations, rapid and disorderly
urbanization
            and environmental degradation, which makes them highly
vulnerable.
            Each day more people live below the poverty line, and
differences
            between rich and poor are growing in many countries, communities
and
            groups."
            Dr. Roses said "environmental risks are more threatening every
day,
            and the current course of globalization is producing unequal
            benefits that contribute to increasing inequities among the
            countries. In this framework, those of us who consider health as
a
            social product, can be proud of achieving and sustaining
impressive
            gains in public health and in the extension of life expectancy
in
            most countries, despite successive and prolonged economic and
            political crises."
            "Even in critical periods, such as the so-called lost decade,
with
            ruptures in democracy and economic stagnation, we have achieved
the
            elimination of polio, the near- disappearance of measles, and
            reductions in infant mortality," she said.
            Dr. Roses said she will give special importance to the fight
against
            the AIDS epidemic, focusing on the countries of the Caribbean,
and
            to improvements in health conditions in priority countries,
            particularly Haiti, she said.
            Dr. Roses recalled her first paid public health job as a
            door-to-door vaccinator in the smallpox eradication campaign of
            1965. "I feel very moved after 38 years to continue serving
health
            in the Americas and to be able to pay tribute to community and
            volunteer health workers on this 25th anniversary of the
Conference
            of Alma Ata," she said. concluded.



            PAHO, established in 1902,works with all the countries of the
            Americas to improve the health and living standards of all their
            peoples. The oldest health organization in the world, it also
serves
            as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health
            Organization.
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