On July 10, 2026, Belize officially stepped into the six-month rotating Pro Tempore Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMISCA), taking the lead in coordinating cross-border efforts to address the region’s most pressing public health priorities. The formal handover ceremony occurred during the council’s 63rd ordinary session, where outgoing president Víctor Atallah, Minister of Public Health of the Dominican Republic, formally transferred the leadership role to Kevin Bernard, Belize’s Minister of Health and Wellness.
Atallah emphasized that the Dominican Republic transferred the responsibility to Belize with full confidence in the government and people of the Central American nation, noting that outgoing administration’s work laid a foundation for continued regional health integration. “Regional cooperation remains the most effective strategy to build stronger, more resilient health systems that can protect the well-being of all communities across our shared neighborhood,” Atallah stated, adding that the Dominican Republic will continue to actively participate in and support collective efforts during Belize’s tenure.
Accepting the presidency, Bernard outlined Belize’s core priorities for the upcoming six months, aligning with longstanding COMISCA goals. The nation will focus its coordination on advancing progress across five key areas: combating the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, expanding and upskilling the regional health workforce, improving equitable access to affordable essential medicines and cutting-edge health technologies, strengthening collective response capacities for public health emergencies, and supporting systemic reforms to build long-term health system resilience across the region.
Bernard stressed that cross-border collaboration and shared action consistently deliver greater public health outcomes than individual national efforts, reaffirming Belize’s unwavering commitment to deepening regional integration under the framework of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which established the rotating presidency structure that transfers leadership to a new member every six months.