PAHO presents Best Buys to accelerate the elimination of more than 30 communicable diseases in the Americas

Washington D.C., 1 October 2025 (PAHO) - During a briefing session at the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), officials presented a new technical tool to help countries in the Region of the Americas accelerate the elimination of more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions. These include vaccine-preventable diseases, neglected tropical and zoonotic diseases, sexually transmitted infections, vector-borne diseases, and others like cervical cancer and tuberculosis.

The Best Buys for Disease Elimination is a practical, evidence-based guide to the most effective actions for countries to implement in order to eliminate communicable diseases. The guide highlights the efficient use of resources and prioritizing populations in vulnerable situations.

"The Region of the Americas is advancing steadily towards the elimination of communicable diseases," said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. "To achieve this, it is necessary to increase and sustain high vaccination coverage, engage communities to expand access to diagnosis and treatment, strengthen surveillance, and bring integrated services to marginalized communities, incarcerated populations, and those living in informal settlements," he added.

For each disease and condition included in the Elimination Initiative, the Best Buys are presented as one-page documents with clear, accessible information. Each Best Buy summarizes expected impact goals, disease elimination targets, key operational indicators, and priority interventions that have proven to be cost-effective in different contexts.

For example, for malaria, the elimination target is defined as zero new indigenous cases of transimssion for three consecutive years. To achieve this, efforts must focus on keeping test positivity rates below 5%, ensuring that more than 70% of cases are diagnosed and treated within the first 72 hours of symptom onset, and guaranteeing that over 80% of cases are investigated and classified in areas working towards malaria elimination or at risk of reestablishment.

The Best Buys include expanding access to rapid diagnostic tests and timely treatment at all levels of care, engaging communities in early detection, consolidating malaria-free territories through microplanning, distributing insecticide-treated nets at no cost, and strengthening surveillance to respond to imported cases. These actions aim to accelerate elimination and ensure that achievements are sustainable over time.

During the presentation at PAHO headquarters in Washington D.C., Suriname was recognized for having eliminated the transmission of malaria-a significant achievement and the first Amazonian country to reach this milestone. Delegates from Guyana, Paraguay, and Suriname shared concrete experiences in implementing the Best Buys-from integrated care for vulnerable populations to intersectoral partnerships-that are making a difference.

The Best Buys documents are part of PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative and are designed to support decision-makers, program managers, technical teams, health workers, cooperation agencies, partners, and donors. Their purpose is also to strengthen strategic planning, the design and implementation of interventions, coordination, and efficient allocation of resources.

About the Elimination Initiative

PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative aims to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Region of the Americas by 2030. This effort, focused on improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities, builds on the legacy of countries in the Americas in eliminating diseases-from smallpox and polio to rubella and, in many countries, malaria and congenital transmission of HIV and syphilis, among others.