Antigua and Barbuda Health Minister elected as First VP of 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference

Antigua and Barbuda: Minister of Health Wellness and the Environment Molwyn Joseph was elected as First Vice President of the 30th Sanitary Conference of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Monday, September 26 2022.

Minister Joseph is currently in Washington DC at the PAHO annual meeting, where he joins other Ministers of Health from the Americas in discussing key policies and actions to improve health.

During the PAHO meeting that spans September 26 to October 1 2022, Ministers will focus on areas that include cervical cancer, genomic sequencing for COVID-19, human resources for health and Monkey Pox Disease.

As First Vice President, Minister Joseph guided member states in an intense discussion on mental health.

During the week, members states elected Dr Jarbas Barbosa Da Silva Jr from Brazil as PAHO’s new Director during the session. This comes as Dr Carissa Etienne, a citizen of Dominica, ends a ten-year term as PAHO’s Director.

Minister Joseph is accompanied by Dr Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, Chief Medical Officer.

Pan American Health Organisation’s (PAHO) 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference ended on September 30, 2022. The week witnessed discussions of health ministers and other delegates on health priorities in the region. Around thirteen jurisdictions were approved in the conference, including a commitment to recover equitable progress toward the sustainable development goals and a strategy to keep the Americas free of polio.

PAHO director Dr Carissa Etienne asserted, “As the Region turns a corner on the devastating COVID-19 pandemic”, there are yet “formidable challenges ahead.”