“Communicating the risk to the population as very important,” said Roses, and called for the “creation of strategies of information in media like the Internet, with reliable and evidence-based information.”

The discovery of the new virus, the preparation of the services, the response, the strengthening of the laboratory capacities, the implementation of tests, the mitigation of risks, the drugs, and the vaccines were among the topics discussed and shared as lessons learned.

Marcos Espinal, Area Manager of Health Surveillance and Prevention and Control of Diseases at PAHO, welcomed the progress achieved and reminded all that “there is still a long way to go. It is important to take the Regulations to the highest political level because it often implies a reorganization of the legal framework of the countries,” he said.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) is an international legal instrument binding 194 countries, including all WHO Member States. It seeks to help the international community prevent and confront acute public health risks likely to cross borders and threaten populations throughout the world.

The delegates from countries recognized that due to rapid and unplanned urban growth, 30.8% of the urban population lives in informal settlements. They also noted that although there are wide disparities between rural and urban areas, the inequitable distribution of resources also occurs in the inner cities.

According to the representatives of the States of the Americas, urban dimension and equity are central to achieving health goals.

They pointed out the need for improving the regulatory action of the health sector in its linkages with other sectors with greater capacity to act on the health determinants of urban populations.

The delegates examined PAHO’s need to prepare a draft of a Strategy and Regional Plan of Action on urban health and a resolution to be presented in 2011 to the 51st Directing Council.