Health Organisations

«health 8» (in the Human Development Area)

In this context, «health 8» is an informal group of eight health-related organisations, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, GFATM, GAVI, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank created in mid-2007 to stimulate a global sense of urgency for reaching the health-related MDGs.

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/OPS)

The Permanent Observer Mission of Spain to the Organization of American States (OAS) represents Spain before the Pan American Health Organization. This is an international institution on public health, devoted to improve the health and living conditions of the peoples of the Americas. The PAHO is part of the United Nations system, acting as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas, and is also the specialized body in health within the Inter-American System.

The Member States of PAHO are the 35 countries of the Americas. Spain is an Observer State since 1980. Since then, and especially since 1985, when the first “Contadora-Health for Peace in Central America” Conference took place in Madrid, Spain’s involvement in the Organization’s activities has become stronger.

On the 21st of May 2007, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PAHO signed a Memorandum of Understanding which constituted the Spain-PAHO Fund, a milestone in our country’s relationship with the Pan American Organization. Since then, planning has taken place annually, through Anual Operation Plans, articulated around strategic objectives. Within this framework, a series of programs and projects at national scale worth various millions of dollars have been carried out, in countries such as Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Perú, Dominican Republic and Haiti. As well as financially, Spain contributes by providing qualified doctors and health professionals.

The Fund has meant a considerable increase in the Spanish contribution to the PAHO, becoming a very substantial funding source to the Organization. Since its creation, it has risen to 56.570.394 dollars. This is how Spain has become its third greatest donor, together with the United States and Canada.