National, Regional and Global Health Governance: Latin American Perspectives

Latin America is an extremely diverse region, but there are some commonalities across countries in terms of socio-economic and other inequalities that deeply impact social determinants of health. Most countries have fragmented health systems that further aggravate inequities and present challenges for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The COVID-19 pandemic brought many health systems to verge of collapse. The region faces a growing burden of chronic diseases, while governance is affected by regulatory deficits, the absence of systematic priority-setting, and high degrees of judicialization of health rights. Further, multiple countries in the region are moving toward more conservative governments aligned with the Trump administration, and these shifts may directly affect health financing and governance. This session will address some of these themes as well as the role for PAHO at this critical juncture. 

This event is part of the Global Health Forward: Strength Through Innovation and Collective Action 2026 Global Health Symposium