Dr. Caroline Chang Candidate to Director of the Pan American Health Organization
INTRODUCTION The Government of the Republic of Ecuador is honored to present Dr. Caroline Chang Campos, as candidate for the post of General Director of Pan-American Health Organization for the period 2013 – 2018. The election will take place in the XXVIII Pan-American Health Conference in September 2012, in Washington DC. The nomination of Dr. Caroline Chang is based on: •
The managing and leadership capacity she has shown as Health Minister of Ecuador from January 2007 to April 2010, starting a process of transformation and changes, placing health as a basic right and central component of the wellbeing of society, implementing universal access to free and quality health services.
•
Her capacity of efficiently mobilizing and managing public resources and international cooperation.
•
Her knowledge of the Pan-American Health Organization where she contributed as a national professional during 15 years and made a residency in the international health program in its Headquarters in Washington, DC.
•
Her international experience in integration processes, strategic alliances among countries and knowledge of health needs in the Region.
•
She was Vice-president of the World Health Assembly in 2007.
•
She was President of the Meeting of Health Ministers of the Andean Region (REMSAA 2008) and the South American health Council (UNASUR 2009), member of the Latin American Council of Health Ministers. She is currently Executive Secretary of the Andean Organization of Health Hipólito Unanue Convention, which coordinates 6 countries of the Andean Sub region.
2
She is a 46 year old doctor in medicine. She was born in Ecuador. She completed her graduate studies in the prestigious Santiago de Guayaquil Catholic University, with a scholarship granted for her academic merits. She graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1990. She is a health professional with wide experience, specialized in Health Services Management and with a Masters Degree in Health Management for Local Development. She completed the PAHO International Health Program, with experience in the areas of Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Health and Environment and Transmissible Diseases. She is a sensitive woman committed to the health of the most vulnerable; she is sympathetic and deeply humane. During her professional career she gave special attention to the population excluded historically by its social, geographical, ethnic, or gender conditions, and to the population living in conflict areas. Her leadership, technical and management skills qualify her to efficiently manage the PanAmerican Health Organization during the next five years.
“Human development, healthy life, prevention and illness control shouldn't be achieved for only one community or country, our goal is the American continent”.
3
2001 Resident in the International Health Program of the Pan-American Health Organization Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Program, Washington, DC. Technical Cooperation in preparedness and Disaster Response in Central America and the Caribbean. 2007 – 2010 Ecuadorian Minister of Public Health, selected on the basis of her merits in the Government of President Rafael Correa Delgado. 1992 - 2000, 2002 – 2006 National Consultant for the Pan-American Health Organization in Ecuador in: Epidemiological Surveillance, Immunizations Program Upgrading, Health and Environment, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, PAHO regional office in Guayaquil. Member of the Emergency technical team of the UN System (UNETE), member of the PAHO/WHO Regional Disaster Response Team Coordinator of the Contingency Committee of the UN System in Ecuador for possible H5N1 pandemic. Mobilization of resources and project coordination: home water disinfection during El Niño phenomenon (1998-1999), enhancement of the health sector to help refugees in the northern border (2002-2006), Mitigation of Floods Impact in the Ecuadorian Coast (2006).
First woman in charge of this Ministry since its creation. - She began the sector’s transformation, recovering public health and the guidance of the Public Health Ministry. -She leaded the technical team that develop the Health Section of the2008 Political Constitution this Section incorporated universal access to health with an approach based on rights, gender and interculturality, free medicine, including catastrophic diseases, a model of attention and the creation of the Public and complementary network. -She implemented universal and free access to health and medicine, gradually incorporating attention to chronic and catastrophic diseases and disabilities.
4
-She promoted the organization of the National Health System, through the creation of the public and private network. -She developed and implemented the integral, Family and Communitarian Attention Model with emphasis in primary attention, incorporating gender and interculturality criteria, breaking access barriers to health services.
-Promotion of anti smoking law and health code. -Ecuador was recognized as “Champion of the Americas in the fight against Malaria” by the Pan-American Health Organization. -Ecuador's Health Management was placed first among 21 Latin American countries (Governance Barometer April 2010).
-She doubled the health sector budget making possible the construction, remodeling and rehabilitation of the Health Services Network implementing high technology. -Over 10.000 health professionals were incorporated to the Basic Health Teams. -Reduced incidence and prevalence of malaria and dengue. -Certified elimination of onchocerciasis. -Maternal mortality decreased 43% in 2 years (2007- 2009). -Development and implementation of breast-feeding policies; secure hospitals; attention to the elderly, national plans for accelerated reduction of maternal death, sexual and reproductive health, prevention of teenagers pregnancy, among others. -Eight new vaccines were added to the regular immunization scheme. The fight against Malaria was a milestone for Ecuador, and for the first time in its history, the model for fightting diseases transmitted by vectors became a regional referent. Ecuador received the recognition of America's champion in the fight against Malaria, given by Pan-American Health Organization. 5
In the international field she has occupied the highest posts representing the country, the Andean and the South American Region: -Vice-president of the World Health Assembly, 2007. -President of the Meeting of Health Ministers in the Andean Region, REMSAA, 2008. -In representation of six Andean countries in the 61st World Health Assembly, she expressed their unanimous concern for Climate Change and its impact on health, demanding an answer from the countries that contribute the most to global warming, 2008. -President of South American Health Council (UNASUR) 2009 - 2010. During her period the South American integration process was consolidated, the UNASUR quinquennial Health Plan and the Continental Plan against dengue were developed. She leaded the response of UNASUR to the Flu pandemic.
2010 – 2012 Executive Secretary of the Andean Health Organization Hipólito Unanue Agreement, (ORAS-CONHU), elected by consensus. She has leaded a team that works together with the countries to strengthen Andean integration in health, universal access to medicine, training of human resources with human rights and interculturality, addressing social health determinants as public health determinants, health surveillance and health in the borders. Her work has been oriented to the promotion, with the Andean Health Ministries, the creation and preparation of sub regional policies to consolidate universal health systems that assure the right to health to the Andean population, achieving commitments at the highest level with Resolutions and Declarations of Andean Health Ministers and Foreign Ministers.
-President of the Andean Regional Coordination Mechanism for HIV/AIDS/TB/Dengue, 20092010.
6
During her time in PAHO and as Health Minister, she Promoted international solidarity for Health problems in the Region. She supported the Preparation of contingency plans for refugees in the Dominican Republic, she managed projects for Colombian refugees in the northern border of Ecuador as well as the prevention of diseases during El Ni単o Phenomenon and volcanic eruptions in southern border. She gave support and technical assistance to Bolivia during the dengue epidemic. She leaded assistance and humanitarian support brigades after the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. As a delegate of Ecuador she supported UNASUR in Humanitarian assistance after the earthquake in Haiti and in the implementation of the Technical Secretariat of UNASUR in Haiti.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Professor of Master programs, Specializations and Diploma courses in Health Policies, Health Services Management and Business Administration, Epidemiology and risk management in several universities of Ecuador. Invited speaker in various international fora and universities. She has published studies and articles on epidemiology, risk management, environmental health, health policies and integration.
7
Since its creation, the Pan-American Health Organization has been a fundamental support for government's health institutions in the countries of the region, promoting important processes such as fight, elimination and eradication of diseases, health promotion, new technologies, supporting the training of human talent, among other important contributions. Our region is currently in a historical relevant position due to its economic progress, and also due to its increasing capacity to generate and apply public policies; however, it persists an inequitable income distribution which reduces progresses regarding human development. The governments have adjusted their policies, achieving some improvements in health and human development indicators. They have also increased fiscal expenditure in health sector as an evidence of the priority given to this sector. However, governments still require a technical support to overcome inequities, break access barriers, manage health above private commercial interests, take preventive measures
against new health problems arising due to the climate change and natural phenomena. PAHO has contributed to strengthen these sovereign processes of the countries, however, a more efficient cooperation is necessary, one that is adapted to the new challenges that countries are facing such as the decreased of financial international cooperation-as the region is not considered a priority region-, the need of specialized technical assistance that transfers capacities and technology, the fostering of scientific investigation in health, and the promotion of south-south cooperation as an integration tool and good practices of the region. The present and the future of new political and integration scenarios that situate health as a strategic base for development need a renewed, agile, flexible, efficient and dynamic organization engaged with global changes and reality of the American countries.
8
1. To position health in the Americas as a universal value for the integration and development of the people, with an approach on rights, inclusion, equality and solidarity. 2. To develop a joint agenda among the countries of the Americas that allows, renewing the Pan-American Health Organization, enhancing its achievements and strengthening its health catalyzing role, responding individually and collectively to the needs and demands of the member countries. So that the countries can find in PAHO: -Spaces for articulation and consensus at the highest level to jointly face globalized health Problems. -Spaces for reflection to achieve a qualitative change from economic globalization towards solidary globalization. -Promotion of knowledge management and use the accumulated experience of the countries for the excellence of health cooperation, articulating public policy with scientific evidence.
-Leadership in the construction of Regional alliances to promote universal systems and assure the right to health, addressing in an integral way promotion and prevention, social determinants management, integration public policies with gender and interculturality approach, and considering citizens participation and demands. -A strong experienced organization with integral, Integrated and transparent processes, human resources that work towards excellence to serve the countries of America. -Technical support and a political ally to accompany the countries in their ongoing reforms and implementation of public policies, strategies and health programs, respecting the principles of the Paris Declaration. A promoter and facilitator of South-South cooperation as an expression of brotherhood, mutual responsibility in the region, closing gaps and bringing people together through the similarities in their realities.
9
During my journey through public health I have built roads, broken barriers, fostered policies and defended the rights of women and most vulnerable people, inspired in goals and dreams that have grown over the years and that I want to share with all of you... That public health in Latin America and the Caribbean become the world referent of human rights, equity, universal access, continental integration and social inclusion. That health management be based on humanist and ethic principles. That our America together can face efficiently the new threats in health with technical, scientific and productive capacities, allowing a sustainable development in harmony with nature. That our children and future generations live in more fair, solidary and inclusive societies. I invite you to dream with me and walk together, recalling what the quechuas and aymaras ancestors asked from us...
“Let’s all walk together, do not leave anyone behind. Be everything for all, lack anything to nobody�.
Her experience in Ecuador's health management, international leadership and awareness of realities and needs of the countries of the region, her knowledge about the institution, as well as her human qualities qualify her to represent America's interest through PAHO's Direction. 10