338ª Reunião Ordinária - 26 jan. 2023

Na parte da manhã. das 9h às 12h30, na Sala João Neves da Fontoura (Plenarinho) - Assembleia Legislativa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Praça Marechal Deodoro, nº 101, Centro Histórico - Porto Alegre/RS. E no período da tarde, no 26 de janeiro de 2023, das 13h30 às 15h30, no Teatro Dante Barone - Assembleia Legislativa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Praça Marechal Deodoro, nº 101, Centro Histórico - Porto Alegre/RS

National legislation and spending on vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This study examined the dynamics of vaccine spending and vaccine legislation in the Americas Region over the period 1980-2013. Annual vaccine expenditures from thirty-one countries were extracted from the Pan American Health Organization Revolving Fund database. Information on vaccine laws and regulations was provided by the PAHO Family, Gender, and Life Course Unit. Both time series and event history models were estimated. The results show that passing an immunization law led a representative country to increase its vaccine spending, controlling for income, infant mortality, population size, and DPT3 vaccine coverage. Countries with higher vaccine coverage were also more likely to have passed laws. Conversely, higher income countries were less likely to have vaccine laws. Vaccine legislation will likely play a similarly important role in other regions as more countries move towards immunization program ownership.

[International financing for cooperation to develop health in Latin America and the Caribbean]. / El financiamiento internacional para la cooperación al desarrollo de la salud de América Latina y el Caribe.

The purpose of this study is (a) to examine the ways in which Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have benefited from increases in international development assistance for health (DAH) at the global level and whether the trend observed after the Millennium Summit has also applied to the Region; (b) to determine whether there are differences in the distribution of this assistance, based on the gross per capita income of each country; (c) to identify the possible effects of the 2008 international financial crisis on official bilateral assistance; and (d) to compare trends in public health expenditure in relation to DAH before and after the Millennium Summit. The study has found that DAH in LAC follows a very different pattern than in other regions of the world. The period from 1997 to 2008 was one of fluctuating stagnation, with average annual disbursements of US$ 1 200 million. Multilateral financial institutions accounted for 79% of the average disbursements in the upper-middle income countries between 2002 and 2008, while official bilateral assistance held the greatest share (61%) in the low- and lower-middle income countries. Bilateral assistance grew at an annual rate of 13% during this period, but in the year after the crisis, disbursements fell to US$ 20 million. Sixty-four percent of bilateral assistance came from the United States, Spain, and Canada, with 29% of it being directed to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. After the Millennium Summit DAH channeled to governments decreased 30% in the period 2001-2006, and its share of public health expenditure in the region was 0.3% for the same period, with an equally marginal proportion in relation to total health expenditure for 2008 (0.37%; US$ 2 per capita). The study concludes that after the Millennium Summit, DAH in LAC did not grow nor did it equal the trends prior to 2000, and public health expenditure followed its historical growth trend, without further increases in relation to the regional gross domestic product. Given these realities and the fact that LAC is the world's most unequal region, but not its poorest, it is imperative to reconsider the concepts, management, and delivery of cooperation in the development of health, using innovative approaches and alternative financing mechanisms that respond more effectively to the realities of the region.

El financiamiento internacional para la cooperación al desarrollo de la salud de América Latina y el Caribe / International financing for cooperation to develop health in Latin America and the Caribbean

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivos a) conocer en qué medida América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) se vio beneficiada por los aumentos de la asistencia internacional para el desarrollo de la salud (ADS) a nivel mundial y si la tendencia observada después de la Cumbre del Milenio, también fue una tendencia observada en la Región, b) determinar si existen diferencias en la distribución de esta asistencia, según el ingreso bruto per cápita de los países, c) identificar el posible efecto de la crisis financiera internacional de 2008 en la ayuda oficial bilateral y d) comparar las tendencias que tuvo el gasto público salud con respecto a la ADS antes y después de la Cumbre del Milenio Se encontró que la ADS en ALC sigue un curso muy diferente al de otras regiones del mundo. A partir de 1997 se entra en un período de estancamiento fluctuante que se extiende hasta 2008, con desembolsos promedios anuales de US$ 1 200 millones. La banca multilateral tuvo una participación de 79 por ciento de los desembolsos promedios entre 2002 y 2008 en los países de ingreso medio alto, mientras que la ayuda oficial bilateral registró la mayor participación (61 por ciento) en los países de ingresos medios bajos y bajos. En este período la ayuda bilateral tiene un crecimiento anual de 13 por ciento, pero en el año posterior a la crisis los desembolsos caen en US$ 20 millones. El 64 por ciento de la ayuda bilateral provino de Estados Unidos, España y Canadá, y el 29 por ciento de la misma se destinó a VIH/Sida y enfermedades de transmisión sexual. Después de la Cumbre del Milenio la ADS canalizada hacia los gobiernos disminuyó en un 30 por ciento entre 2001-2006 y su participación con respecto al gasto público en salud regional fue de 0,30 por ciento en el mismo período, con una proporción igualmente marginal con respecto al gasto total en salud para 2008 (0,37 por ciento; US$ 2 per cápita). Se concluye que después de la Cumbre del Milenio la ADS en ALC no creció ni logró igualar las tendencias antes del 2000 y el gasto público en salud siguió su tendencia de crecimiento histórico, sin mayores incrementos con respecto al producto interno bruto regional. Frente a este panorama y por ser ALC la región más desigual pero no la más pobre del mundo, resulta imperativo replantearse las formas de pensar, conducir y entregar la cooperación para el desarrollo de la salud con enfoques innovadores y mecanismos alternativos de financiamiento que respondan más y mejor a las realidades de la región.

The purpose of this study is (a) to examine the ways in which Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have benefited from increases in international development assistance for health (DAH) at the global level and whether the trend observed after the Millennium Summit has also applied to the Region; (b) to determine whether there are differences in the distribution of this assistance, based on the gross per capita income of each country; (c) to identify the possible effects of the 2008 international financial crisis on official bilateral assistance; and (d) to compare trends in public health expenditure in relation to DAH before and after the Millennium Summit. The study has found that DAH in LAC follows a very different pattern than in other regions of the world. The period from 1997 to 2008 was one of fluctuating stagnation, with average annual disbursements of US$ 1 200 million. Multilateral financial institutions accounted for 79 percent of the average disbursements in the upper-middle income countries between 2002 and 2008, while official bilateral assistance held the greatest share (61 percent) in the low- and lower-middle income countries. Bilateral assistance grew at an annual rate of 13 percent during this period, but in the year after the crisis, disbursements fell to US$ 20 million. Sixty-four percent of bilateral assistance came from the United States, Spain, and Canada, with 29 percent of it being directed to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. After the Millennium Summit DAH channeled to governments decreased 30 percent in the period 2001-2006, and its share of public health expenditure in the region was 0.3 percent for the same period, with an equally marginal proportion in relation to total health expenditure for 2008 (0.37 percent; US$ 2 per capita). The study concludes that after the Millennium Summit, DAH in LAC did not grow nor did it equal the trends prior to 2000, and public health expenditure followed its historical growth trend, without further increases in relation to the regional gross domestic product. Given these realities and the fact that LAC is the world's most unequal region, but not its poorest, it is imperative to reconsider the concepts, management, and delivery of cooperation in the development of health, using innovative approaches and alternative financing mechanisms that respond more effectively to the realities of the region.

[The PAHO Strategic Fund: a mechanism to facilitate access to medicines]. / Fundo Estratégico da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde: mecanismo facilitador para melhorar o acesso aos medicamentos.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the medicine procurement activities of the PAHO Strategic Fund. METHOD: This is a retrospective study covering the period from 2004 to 2007, based on a bibliographic and document survey of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) archives in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Brazil. The volume of resources and the types of drugs procured by the fund were determined for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006 and for the period of January to September 2007. RESULTS: The survey revealed a well-structured fund handling increasing resources, from US$ 3,475,043.00 in 2004 to US$ 19,646,634.00 in 2007 (January to September). The participation of antiretroviral drugs in this expenditure has grown from less than 8% of the total in 2004 to 57.89% in 2007. Still, in 2007, 66.63% of the financial resources managed by the Strategic Fund were allocated to the purchase of antiretroviral drugs for nine countries (Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti, Belize, Nicaragua, and Bolivia) out of a total of 17 participating countries. Brazil was the country using the most resources through the Strategic Fund, accounting for 63% of the expenditure for the purchase of strategic supplies between January and September 2007. CONCLUSION: The proposal to unify the purchase of medications for all participating countries to improve pricing and purchasing management will result in large-scale savings. The Strategic Fund can contribute to increasing access to medicines and improving the management of the public health care system in Latin America.

Fundo Estratégico da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde: mecanismo facilitador para melhorar o acesso aos medicamentos / The PAHO Strategic Fund: a mechanism to facilitate access to medicines

OBJETIVO: Descrever o funcionamento do Fundo Estratégico para medicamentos da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS). MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo, com recorte temporal de 2004 a 2007, fundamentado em levantamento bibliográfico e documental em arquivos dos escritórios da OPAS nos Estados Unidos, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras e Brasil. Foram levantados o volume total de recursos e os tipos de medicamentos movimentados por meio do Fundo Estratégico nos anos de 2004, 2005, 2006 e nos meses de janeiro a setembro de 2007. RESULTADOS: O levantamento revelou um fundo bem estruturado que movimentou recursos crescentes, de US$ 3 475 043,00 em 2004 a US$ 19 646 634,00 em 2007 (de janeiro a setembro). Houve um crescimento na participação dos antirretrovirais nesse dispêndio, de pouco menos de 8 por cento do total em 2004 a 57,89 por cento em 2007. Ainda em 2007, 66,63 por cento da movimentação financeira do Fundo Estratégico foram destinados à compra de antirretrovirais para nove países (Brasil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Equador, Honduras, Haiti, Belize, Nicarágua e Bolívia) de um total de 17 países participantes. O país que mais movimentou recursos financeiros por meio do Fundo Estratégico foi o Brasil, com 63 por cento dos gastos para compra de insumos estratégicos no período de janeiro a setembro de 2007. CONCLUSÃO: A proposta de unificar as compras de medicamentos de todos os países participantes para melhor negociação de preços e administração das compras permitirá economias de escala. O Fundo Estratégico pode contribuir para ampliar o acesso aos medicamentos e melhorar a gestão do sistema público de saúde da América Latina.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the medicine procurement activities of the PAHO Strategic Fund. METHOD: This is a retrospective study covering the period from 2004 to 2007, based on a bibliographic and document survey of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) archives in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Brazil. The volume of resources and the types of drugs procured by the fund were determined for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006 and for the period of January to September 2007. RESULTS: The survey revealed a well-structured fund handling increasing resources, from US$ 3 475 043.00 in 2004 to US$ 19 646 634.00 in 2007 (January to September). The participation of antiretroviral drugs in this expenditure has grown from less than 8 percent of the total in 2004 to 57.89 percent in 2007. Still, in 2007, 66.63 percent of the financial resources managed by the Strategic Fund were allocated to the purchase of antiretroviral drugs for nine countries (Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti, Belize, Nicaragua, and Bolivia) out of a total of 17 participating countries. Brazil was the country using the most resources through the Strategic Fund, accounting for 63 percent of the expenditure for the purchase of strategic supplies between January and September 2007. CONCLUSION: The proposal to unify the purchase of medications for all participating countries to improve pricing and purchasing management will result in large-scale savings. The Strategic Fund can contribute to increasing access to medicines and improving the management of the public health care system in Latin America.

[Reluctant partner: Canada's relationship with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)]. / Parceiro relutante: as relações do Canadá com a Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde (OPAS).

Despite a strong commitment to multilateralism and international health cooperation in the post World War II era, Canada refrained form joining the Pan American Health Organization - PAHO until 1971. Drawing on letters and memos sent between Canadian diplomats and government representatives, this paper explores official Canadian accounts of the factors that delayed Canada's membership in PAHO. These factors include the initial lack of official relations between Canada and Latin America, US hegemony in the region, and budgetary constraints. Canada's cautious position regarding PAHO is also placed within the context of Canada's overall foreign policy to the region, emphasizing the parallels between Canada's reluctant association with PAHO and the evolution of Canada's engagement with the region as a whole.