Trinidad and Tobago has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the 2026–2029 term.

The election took place during the 63rd Directing Council of PAHO and the 78th Session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the Americas, which Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe attended in Washington, DC, from September 28 to October 2, 2026.

PAHO’s Executive Committee comprises nine Member States elected for overlapping three-year terms and serves as a working body of the organisation’s governing bodies. 

The Committee meets twice annually to consider key technical and administrative matters. The Committee now comprises Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America.

Trinidad and Tobago last served on the Executive Committee for the 2014 to 2017.

As a member of the Executive Committee, Trinidad and Tobago will participate in discussions that help shape PAHO’s regional priorities, policies and programmes, while contributing its national and Caribbean perspectives to deliberations on shared public health challenges.

Bodoe said the appointment provides an important opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to contribute to regional health policy while ensuring that the priorities of Caribbean countries are represented.

“Trinidad and Tobago intends to be an active and constructive member of the Executive Committee. This gives us another platform to advance practical cooperation on the issues that directly affect our people, including access to medicines and health technologies, non-communicable diseases, the health workforce, health security and stronger health systems,” Bodoe said.

Trinidad and Tobago has also been selected to serve on PAHO’s Subcommittee on Program, Budget and Administration, an advisory body of the Executive Committee responsible for reviewing matters related to PAHO’s programmes, budget and administration and making recommendations to the Executive Committee.