The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UNITE – Parliamentarians Network for Global Health have signed a Framework Agreement to strengthen legislative action on health across the Americas. Announced during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the partnership aims to support lawmakers in shaping public health policy through evidence-based decision-making, informed debate, and alignment with international health standards and priorities.
PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa highlighted the crucial role of parliamentarians in advancing the right to health and building resilient health systems. The collaboration will provide legislators with technical support, data, and tools needed to champion sustainable improvements in public health across the region.
UNITE, a global network of current and former parliamentarians, will work alongside PAHO to build technical capacity, facilitate policy dialogue, and promote legal and regulatory reforms. The partnership will organize joint initiatives, including webinars, workshops, and high-level events, focusing on health financing, universal health coverage, pandemic preparedness, noncommunicable diseases, and the social and environmental determinants of health.
Through this agreement, PAHO will provide technical assistance and share data to guide policy decisions aligned with regional and global health objectives. UNITE will engage its extensive parliamentary network to identify legislative gaps, foster political will, and promote knowledge sharing to strengthen health reforms.
The collaboration builds on UNITE’s existing partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and demonstrates both organizations’ commitment to inclusive, multisectoral approaches to health governance. PAHO, founded in 1902, serves as the WHO Regional Office for the Americas, while UNITE is a non-partisan global network of over 500 parliamentarians from 119 countries, dedicated to promoting sustainable, evidence-based health policies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
