Asunción, Paraguay – July 17, 2025
In a significant step towards bolstering its national health system, Paraguay officially joined the Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas on Thursday, July 17th. This regional initiative, spearheaded by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), aims to strengthen investment, foster innovation, and improve policy implementation to transform health systems across the region, with a strong focus on primary healthcare.
The announcement was made in Asunción, where Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPyBS) signed the founding agreement for the Primary Health Care Advisory Council. This council will serve as a crucial platform for guiding investment decisions, enhancing spending efficiency, and ensuring that all actions contribute directly to national health goals.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO, commended Paraguay’s commitment, stating, “Paraguay is taking a landmark step. This Council will guide investment decisions, improve spending efficiency, and ensure every action contributes toward national health goals. We applaud Paraguay’s commitment to this transformative vision.”
Javier Guzmán, Head of Health, Nutrition, and Population at the IDB, echoed these sentiments, adding: “Strengthening primary health care is a strategic bet on the sustainability of health systems. The IDB supports Paraguay in this endeavor with a long-term vision, promoting innovative management models that can be replicated across the region.”
The Alliance for Primary Health Care in the Americas
Launched in December 2023 by PAHO, the IDB, and the World Bank, the Alliance was created to accelerate the development and implementation of primary healthcare (PHC) across the Americas. PHC is widely recognized as the backbone of resilient health systems, essential for achieving universal health coverage, strengthening health security, and ensuring better health outcomes for all.
The Alliance’s goals include:
* Strengthening Investment: Mobilizing and aligning financial resources to expand access, equity, and quality in primary healthcare.
* Fostering Innovation: Promoting new management models, digital transformation (like telehealth), and the availability of new medicines and vaccines to reach underserved areas.
* Improving Policy Implementation: Supporting countries in developing national PHC investment plans and guiding them to strengthen the resilience and capacity of their health systems.
Paraguay now becomes the fourth country to formally join this important regional initiative, following the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Chile. The Alliance operates through a decentralized, inclusive structure, fostering strategic and technical dialogue among the three international organizations, national health authorities, and various stakeholders at the country level.
Through its new coordination platform, Paraguay aims to promote inter-institutional collaboration, facilitate knowledge sharing, and implement evidence-based policies designed to strengthen its health system. By placing primary care at its core, the country seeks to ensure more equitable, resilient, and sustainable health for its entire population. This move is expected to enhance Paraguay’s efforts in addressing health inequities, advancing towards universal health coverage, and tackling emerging public health challenges.
