Jamaica’s Health & Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, MP has been selected to serve as president of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Directing Council Meeting and will lead the 59th meeting of the 35 PAHO Member States. This meeting is timely and of great significance as countries around the world continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce the resilience of their healthcare systems.
The Council will meet in Washington, DC from September 20-24, 2021 to consider matters including, a roadmap for the digital transformation of health sector in the region of the Americas; a comprehensive approach for addressing health threats at the human-animal-environment interface; and reinvigorating immunization as a public good for universal health.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie will also travel to Washington, DC with Dr. Tufton, while the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dunstan Bryan and other senior officials of the Health & Wellness Ministry join the session virtually. Additionally, Jamaica is expected to vie for a position on the executive committee to serve for the 2021-2024 term.
The PAHO Directing Council is responsible for setting the organization’s policies and priorities for technical cooperation as well as discussing matters of public health significance and agreeing on the way forward for the region.