Washington, D.C., 29 September, 2025 (PAHO) – Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today set a bold agenda toward advancing health and well-being across the Americas, with the approval of the PAHO Strategic Plan 2026–2031 under the theme “Together toward a Healthier Americas for All.”
This plan, approved by the Organization’s 62nd Directing Council, was shaped by extensive consultations with countries and stakeholders, and commits to transformative health outcomes over the next six years, tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, health security, fragmented health systems and services, and the elimination of communicable diseases, amongst others.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that the Region of the Americas is stronger when we work together,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. “This Strategic Plan harnesses our collective strength to build resilient health systems, reduce disease burden, and improve health and well-being for all across the Americas.”
The plan builds on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed gaps in health systems while highlighting the power of joint action. It targets measurable impacts in countries, such as reducing maternal mortality, reversing rising suicide rates, and eliminating diseases like leprosy and Chagas.
Five strategic objectives
At the heart of the Plan are five strategic objectives that will guide regional health action through 2031:
- Accelerate efforts toward health for all, addressing the social determinants of health, environmental challenges, and risk factors.
- Build resilient health systems for universal access to health and universal health coverage based on primary health care.
- Accelerate the disease elimination agenda and better prevent and treat communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and mental health conditions.
- Prevent, prepare, detect, and respond better to health emergencies.
- Bolster the leadership, governance, and performance of PAHO to advance the regional health agenda and deliver technical cooperation that drives public health impact in countries.
What’s new in the Strategic Plan 2026–2031?
The new PAHO Strategic Plan introduces an integrated approach to health for all and features an updated results-based management framework and a streamlined results framework. It reduces the number of outcomes and indicators while enhancing measurability and transparency. “Indicators with realistic, evidence-based targets will sharpen our focus and enable PAHO and its Member States to work towards tangible health outcomes,” Dr Barbosa added.
To accelerate impact, the Plan’s streamlined results framework with evidence-based indicators is supported by high-impact interventions, or “accelerators,” to drive measurable progress and systemic transformation across multiple impact targets and dimensions of health development.
Accelerators build on existing frameworks and proven methods, offering tangible opportunities to scale up interventions rapidly and effectively. Finally, the Plan includes mechanisms for agile and transparent adjustments in response to evolving circumstances.
Thanking Member States for their collaboration in developing and approving the plan, the PAHO Director underscored that it signals a “renewed regional cooperation” and affirms countries’ commitment to improving health and well-being for all. “By working together, we can overcome current challenges and accelerate progress toward health for all people in the Americas,” he concluded.