Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
The world's oldest international public health organization and the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.
Pan American Health OrganizationFounded in December 1902 as the International Sanitary Bureau, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It serves 35 Member States across the Americas, operating as part of the UN system since 1949 while maintaining its own member-state governance.
PAHO leads strategic public health efforts to promote health equity and strengthen national health systems. Its notable achievements include the regional eradication of smallpox, the 1994 WHO-certified elimination of polio in the Americas, and the 2016 measles-elimination status. The organization also manages a Revolving Fund for vaccine procurement and coordinates regional emergency responses, including those for the COVID-19 pandemic.