Regional Health Authorities Urge Overhaul of Global Governance
As the global health architecture evolves, regional institutions must have a stronger voice in shaping decisions, not only in implementing them,
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said at the World Health Summit in Berlin.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director and WHO Regional Director for the Americas Dr. Jarbas Barbosa called for regional institutions and national governments to take a more direct role in reshaping global health reforms, [paho.org] reported on October 15, 2026. Speaking during the main-stage discussions in Berlin, Dr. Barbosa argued that clearer responsibilities across national, regional, and global levels will reduce duplication and ensure limited health resources deliver greater impact.
The push for restructuring comes as WHO Member States and global health partners evaluate how health cooperation is governed, financed, and delivered. Tightening financial conditions have heightened concerns over fragmentation and overlapping mandates across international agencies. The ongoing reform process is currently weighing how coordination and funding should align across different operational tiers, with final recommendations scheduled for consideration by the World Health Assembly in 2027.
Drawing on Lessons from the Americas
To support a decentralized approach, Dr. Barbosa pointed to more than 120 years of regional cooperation among countries in the Americas through PAHO. Regional strategies, including pooled procurement, primary health care expansions, disease elimination campaigns, and regional health innovation, demonstrate how collective action generates added value for individual member states.
An effective global health architecture must formally recognize the distinct, complementary roles of each administrative level, according to the PAHO director. Under this framework, individual countries maintain leadership over their unique health priorities. Regional institutions adapt global guidance to local realities and translate high-level commitments into actionable country-level programs. Global institutions focus primarily on setting overarching norms, standards, and technical guidance.
Financing remains a central challenge for the Americas, where most nations are classified as middle-income and rely heavily on domestic resources to sustain their public health infrastructure. Better alignment between domestic funding, development resources, and international cooperation can help governments achieve their strategic health targets.
Advancing Partnerships for Strategic Health Priorities
During his three days at the Berlin summit, Dr. Barbosa met with international and private-sector partners to advance cooperation on several critical health fronts. Discussions centered on epidemic intelligence, dengue prevention, healthy aging, noncommunicable diseases, One Health security, and youth participation in health policy.
Dr. Barbosa also held bilateral exchanges with the WHO Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim, the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, and Google for Health. These talks explored joint initiatives in suicide prevention, brain health, implementation science, artificial intelligence, and digital health infrastructure.
The future of global health must be built on health sovereignty, country ownership, and regional solidarity,
Dr. Barbosa said.
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