Health authorities from across the Americas gathered in Rio de Janeiro from January 26-28, 2026, for a pivotal regional summit aimed at accelerating healthcare system reforms. The Second High-Level Regional Meeting of the Primary Health Care Alliance for the Americas brought together over 200 delegates from 24 nations, including ministers of health, principal nursing officers, and directors of primary health services.
The conference, jointly organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), featured prominent attendees such as PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa and Assistant Director Dr. Rhonda Sealy Thomas. Representing the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Civil Service Affairs & the Environment was Acting Principal Nursing Officer Mrs. Almarie Coates.
Central to the discussions was the theme “Primary Health Care as an Accelerator of Health System Transformation in the Americas.” Participants conducted a comprehensive review of progress achieved since the Alliance’s establishment in Montevideo, Uruguay in December 2023. The meeting served as a strategic platform for knowledge exchange, collaborative learning, and policy alignment among health ministries, technical partners, and financial institutions.
Key objectives included evaluating national implementation pathways for primary healthcare as a catalyst for system-wide transformation, sharing innovative approaches that demonstrate improved healthcare access, outcomes, and operational efficiency, assessing the Alliance’s progress in meeting its objectives while strengthening regional cooperation, and reaffirming the Alliance’s strategic value while securing renewed commitments from members to deepen collaborative action.
The Alliance represents a unique regional mechanism designed to accelerate primary healthcare implementation through targeted investment and innovation. Its core mission remains supporting member countries in transforming their health systems through coordinated policy guidance and harmonized investment planning.