New York, 22 September 2025 (PAHO) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Mérieux Foundation USA (FMx USA) today signed a Framework Agreement to expand joint efforts to strengthen laboratory systems and improve access to quality diagnostics across the Americas. The signing took place on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The agreement sets the foundation for closer collaboration between PAHO and the Mérieux Foundation USA to support countries in enhancing laboratory governance, boosting surveillance systems, promoting the responsible use of diagnostic resources to combat epidemic-prone pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and expanding the use of digital tools for public health monitoring.
“Strong laboratory systems are essential for health security in the Americas, enabling early detection of threats, effective surveillance, and equitable access to diagnostics,” PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said. “This partnership with the Mérieux Foundation USA will support our Member States in addressing antimicrobial resistance and emerging health challenges, ultimately saving lives and strengthening regional preparedness.”
“We are proud to join forces with PAHO to strengthen laboratory systems and help to protect populations from emerging disease threats across the Americas,” said Louis Delorme, CEO of the Mérieux Foundation USA. “Through the Framework Agreement, PAHO and FMx USA will work together on initiatives that improve laboratory quality management systems, optimize laboratory-based surveillance, and promote coordination between human, animal, and environmental health sectors—particularly through the One Health approach.”
The agreement also lays out commitments by both organizations to jointly develop field-based projects, provide training opportunities for laboratory professionals, and support the implementation of laboratory information systems. It emphasizes the importance of sharing expertise and data, and outlines the establishment of a joint working group to identify and implement collaborative activities across the region.
Initial areas of collaboration under the agreement will include projects in countries with vulnerable health systems and ongoing laboratory initiatives, such as in Haiti and Brazil. Future initiatives will be detailed through specific subsidiary agreements aligned with regional health priorities and PAHO’s technical cooperation strategies.
This partnership marks a significant step toward building more integrated and efficient laboratory systems in the Americas, particularly in the face of emerging health threats and the increasing importance of regional preparedness.
About PAHO
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their populations. Founded in 1902, PAHO is the world’s oldest international public health agency. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO) and is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System (OAS).
About the Mérieux Foundation USA
The Mérieux Foundation, a state-approved charity created in France in 1967, is a family non-profit, working in limited-resource settings to improve health and living conditions for the most vulnerable. The Foundation uses locally driven solutions to build capacity and prevent epidemics from spreading. A U.S. 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2012 in Washington, DC, the Mérieux Foundation USA engages partners in the Americas in Mérieux Foundation initiatives and opens opportunities for new partnerships to foster sustainable health systems around the world. The Mérieux Foundation has teams working across West, Central, and North Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Its areas of expertise include laboratory system strengthening, global health security, antimicrobial resistance and One Health, outbreak preparedness and improving access to HIV and tuberculosis testing.