Latin America is an extremely diverse region, but there are some commonalities across countries in terms of socio-economic and other inequalities that deeply impact social determinants of health. Most countries have fragmented health systems that further aggravate inequities and present challenges for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The COVID-19 pandemic brought many health systems to verge of collapse. The region faces a growing burden of chronic diseases, while governance is affected by regulatory deficits, the absence of systematic priority-setting, and high degrees of judicialization of health rights. Further, multiple countries in the region are moving toward more conservative governments aligned with the Trump administration, and these shifts may directly affect health financing and governance. This session will address some of these themes as well as the role for PAHO at this critical juncture. 

This panel is part of the 2026 Global Health Symposium hosted by the Harvard Global Health Institute.

Panelists

• Alejandro Gaviria, PhD, Former Minister of Health and Social Protection (2012-2018); Former Minister of National Education (2022-2023), Colombia
• Claudia Pescetto, MA, Regional Advisor, Evidence and Information for Health Economics and Financing, PAHO/WHO
• Victor Zamora, MD, MA, Former Minister of Health, Peru; Professor of Health Policy at the School of Government and Public Policy, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru; Executive Director, Gobierna Consultores SAC
• Moderated by Alicia Ely Yamin, JD, MPH, PhD, Lecturer on Law and the Senior Fellow on Global Health and Rights, Petrie-Flom Center, Harvard Law School; Adjunct Senior Lecturer on Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health