Reflections from the WHO Americas meeting

Reflections from the WHO Americas meeting

Friday, 31 October 2014

Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla, IAPO Secretary, and Piga Fernández, from IAPO member Fundación GIST Chile, attended the WHO Regional Committee meeting for the Americas in Washington DC, USA, from 29 September to 3 October.

Piga answered a few questions about the meeting.  

In what ways did you represent IAPO at your WHO Regional Committee? 

‘During the meeting I was able to meet relevant regional actors involved in the taking of decisions regarding health policies that affect Latin American patients. I was able to speak with each one of them about being a IAPO representative, about the main problems  patients have and about what we are doing to try to change the actual situation, and how we could work together in order to collaborate to make this possible.

I had the great opportunity to read IAPO´s intervention regarding the implementation of universal health coverage in the public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean.'

The IAPO delegation also intervened on WHO engagement with non-state actors, spoke with health ministers or their representatives from Chile, Cuba, Uruguay and many other countries, and liaised with other international organizations present.

 

What were your personal highlights?

IAPO member at WHO meeting

  • The moment I read IAPO´s position regarding universal health coverage
  • The moment when the 'Strategy for Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage' was approved
  • Being present at the round table where delegates discussed this project
  • I learned how main decisions regarding health policies are taken at an international level, and how NGOs, being the patient’s voice, can have more relevant participation each day
  • Being present at the meeting, I gained better knowledge of how WHO works on a regional level.