One of the four technical areas under the management of the Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Family and Community Health Area (FCH) is responsible for providing country-focused technical cooperation addressing several broad thematic areas that are included in its three projects and one center:

• Healthy Life Course Project (HL)
• The Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women and Reproductive Health (CLAP-WR)
• Comprehensive Family Immunization Project (IM)
• Prevention, Treatment and Care for HIV/STI Project (HI)

In addition to those, FCH leads the Nutrition, Health and Development Cross Organizational Team (COT), and Strategic Alliance for Health Nutrition and Development and the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 

FCH promotes, coordinates and implements technical cooperation at the regional, subregional and country levels, emphasizing the central role of the family and community to foster a culture of health promotion and protection in which health is a social value and a human right. FCH focuses on the development and implementation of programs for women’s health; maternal and neonatal health; the integrated health and development of children and adolescents; the health of aging populations; sexual and reproductive health; HIV/STI treatment, prevention, and care; food and nutrition; and comprehensive family immunization. In June 2012, the visual health, oral health, and disability prevention and rehabilitation programs were incorporated into the FCH Area.

In collaboration with national and international partners, FCH supports national programs in the identification, development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions over the span of the life course. The area provides technical cooperation and guidance in the design and development of research activities, policy and legislation, inter-sectoral programs, and projects for family health. All technical cooperation is carried out within the context of primary health care and according to the countries’ epidemiological situation, as well as the social determinants of health, in which gender, human rights, and multiculturalism all play a part in working toward the achievement of universal health coverage.  

Given the information stated above, FCH priorities for the 2012-2013 biennium are the following:

• Accelerate the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality.
• Promote integrated health and development of children from early infancy.
• Protect the achievements in immunization and increase benefits:
• Maintain polio eradication and eliminate rubella, congenital rubella syndrome and measles;
• Introduce new vaccines based on scientific evidence and financial sustainability;
• Strengthen the Revolving Fund for vaccine procurement.
• Reduce anemia, chronic malnutrition and prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents.
• Promote the integrated development of adolescents and youth for the prevention of high-risk behaviors.
• Prevent teenage pregnancy.
• Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis.
• Accelerate the expansion and optimization of antiretroviral therapy.
• Prevent HIV transmission among vulnerable populations.
• Meet the health needs of the elderly.
• Prevent blindness and avoidable visual impairment.
• Prevent disability and promote rehabilitation.
• Improve oral health.