WASHINGTON, USA, (PAHO) – Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr Jarbas Barbosa, presented his Annual Report Monday at the opening of the 62nd Directing Council, highlighting major progress in health security, disease elimination, primary health care, and digital health—despite the many challenges faced over the past year. “This report shows how collective action can improve health and well-being across our region,” said Dr Barbosa. Primary health care, NCDs, and digital healthPAHO’s Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) initiative, launched in 2023, expanded rapidly, with the HEARTS initiative now implemented in more than 7,000 primary health care centers across 26 countries. Through the Alliance for Primary Health Care, and in collaboration with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Chile, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador reached agreements to invest in integrated health services. “This year has shown that progress in health is built through continued collaboration,” Dr Barbosa concluded.