First meeting of RedFESP to advance regional cooperation and strengthen public health stewardship and governance

Washington, D.C., 28 October 2025 - The Network on Essential Public Health Functions to Strengthen Stewardship and Governance (RedFESP, by its Spanish acronym), established in September 2025 with the technical support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), held its first virtual meeting with the participation of representatives from Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.

The session was opened by Andrés Castañeda Prado, Coordinator of the National Public Health Service of Mexico and Chair of the RedFESP Steering Committee, and moderated by Ernesto Báscolo, Chief of the Primary Health Care and Integrated Service Delivery Unit at PAHO. Other members of the Steering Committee and technical authorities from the countries also participated.

During the meeting, countries shared progress, challenges, and priorities in the implementation and strengthening of the Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF). Working groups were also established to analyze prioritization criteria and advance a proposal for joint areas of collaboration, aligned with the Network's six strategic pillars: effective implementation of the EPHF; training and capacity development; institutionalization of the evaluation and continuous improvement; regional cooperation; knowledge generation; and exchange of experiences and best practices.

This technical work allowed for the identification of common priorities and the definition of initial lines of action aimed at promoting regional products that contribute to strengthening the governance and resilience of health systems in the Region of the Americas. Member countries highlighted the institutionalization of the evaluation and collaboration among countries as shared priorities, with a focus on using common tools and strengthening implementation capacities. During the plenary session, the main agreements were consolidated, and the next steps were defined to advance a joint agenda, including the operational organization of the Network and the establishment of cooperation mechanisms among countries.

PAHO, in its role as technical secretariat, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting countries in the sustained implementation of the agreed actions and in the establishment of RedFESP as a strategic space for the exchange of experiences, the production of regional public goods, and the strengthening of essential public health capacities.

The creation of RedFESP is part of regional efforts to strengthen public health stewardship and governance and support the institutionalization of the EPHF as a fundamental function of the State to guarantee the right to health. This process, promoted by PAHO together with countries since 2025, seeks to solidify a collaborative platform that promotes stronger, more equitable health systems that are prepared to respond to population needs and to current and future public health challenges.

Find more information about RedFESP here: https://www.paho.org/en/network-essential-public-health-functions-ephf