Former Latin American Presidents Join Experts for High-Level Panel on Future Health Preparedness

Wednesday, November 26, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (CDMX/San José)
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Miami/Quito/Lima)
Virtual event

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AHF Global Public Health Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean, in collaboration with the University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab, invites members of the press to a high-level virtual panel titled “Why Should Latin America Act as a Bloc in Future Health Emergencies? Toward a Common Regional Preparedness and Response Agenda.”

Latin America has been among the regions most affected by recent health crises—including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 dengue emergency. Despite the region’s scientific talent and institutional capacity, it still lacks a regional coordination mechanism equivalent to structures like the Africa CDC, the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), or the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

This panel will convene two former presidents, a former minister of health, and a senior epidemiology official to discuss barriers, opportunities, and priorities for building a regional agenda for preparedness and response, capable of addressing future health threats in a more coordinated, equitable, and effective manner.

WHAT:	High-level virtual panel: “Why Should Latin America Act as a Bloc in Future Health Emergencies? Toward a Common Regional Preparedness and Response Agenda"
WHEN:	Wednesday, November 26, 2025 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (CDMX/San José) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Miami/Quito/Lima)
WHERE:	https://miami.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BHQrRnJ0Sfy6KmAz5lGdwA
WHO:	Laura Chinchilla Former President of Costa Rica (2010–2014) Guillermo Lasso Former President of Ecuador (2021–2023) Dr. Patricia García Former Minister of Health of Peru Professor of Public Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Dr. Miguel Ángel Lezana Director General of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Mexico Moderator: Dr. Jorge Saavedra, Executive Director, AHF Global Public Health Institute
NEWS DESK NOTES	Panel will feature individualized questions and dynamic, moderated discussion. The session will be held in Spanish with no simultaneous translation.
MEDIA CONTACTS:	AHF Global Public Health Institute – Latin America & the Caribbean Dr. Ariel Terrón Director, AHF Global Public Health Institute for Latin America & the Caribbean WhatsApp: [phone] [e-mail] AHF Global Communications Denys Nazarov Director of Global Policy & Communications [phone] [e-mail]

The AHF Global Public Health Institute is an initiative of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) created to advance global public health policy analysis and research, generating objective evidence to inform improvements in public health policy at the global, regional, national, and local levels, particularly in the field of infectious diseases.

For more information about the AHF Global Public Health Institute, visit https://ahfinstitute.org/.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2.7 million people in 50 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.