The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, met with Albert Ramdin, newly elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), following his election during the 56th Special Session of the OAS General Assembly in Washington, D.C. Ramdin, from Suriname, will officially take office on May 25, 2025, succeeding Luis Almagro, and will serve a five-year term through 2030.
Dr. Barbosa congratulated Ramdin on his election and expressed confidence that the OAS will make significant progress in addressing key regional challenges under his leadership. The two leaders emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between PAHO and the OAS to shape the Americas’ health priorities. Dr. Barbosa stressed that integrating health into the broader inter-American agenda is essential for addressing the region’s most pressing issues.
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Dr. Barbosa congratulated Minister Ramdin on his former contribution to advancing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on the OAS agenda, particularly his leadership in establishing the Inter-American Task Force on NCDs in 2014, which continues to be instrumental in addressing chronic diseases in the region.
Looking ahead, the two leaders outlined key upcoming events, including the OAS General Assembly in Antigua and Barbuda (June 2025), where PAHO is closely working with the host country to advance on a mental health resolution; the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs (HLM4) in September 2025; and the 10th Summit of the Americas (December 2025), when Heads of State and Government will gather in the Dominican Republic to address shared political issues and commit to collective actions on building a secure and sustainable hemisphere with shared prosperity.
Dr. Barbosa and Secretary General-elect Ramdin reiterated their commitment to better coordination among inter-American organizations such as OAS, PAHO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), as well as deepening collaboration to address common challenges in the Americas and foster a more resilient and healthier region. PAHO and the OAS share a long-standing relationship with organizations working together to address regional health and development challenges.
