Welcome to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Speakers Bureau

The Speakers Bureau of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works to educate and inform a variety of audiences—both organizations and individuals—about PAHO’s mission and role as an international public health organization with more than 110 years of experience.

The Speakers Bureau offers general PAHO briefings to visitors throughout the year. Audiences are given an overview of the history of PAHO, its work and its mission in the Americas during these 110 years, followed by a question-and-answer session and an on-site visit with photo opportunity in the PAHO headquarters building.

During the year, the Speakers Bureau serves as liaison between PAHO and its visitors, including governmental delegations, universities, community groups, youth organizations, students and teachers. Through this first contact with PAHO, we have promoted and established partnerships with a number of organizations. The Speakers Bureau also responds to invitations to forums and participates in guest lectures. We provide scientific and technical experts for a range of functions outside PAHO, including conferences, panel discussions and other meetings.

Groups must be 10 persons or more and space is on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups may be combined to meet the minimum size. Groups of 50 or more persons should allow at least a month's notice.

The PAHO Speakers Bureau was established in 1997 to:

• Explain the relevance and importance of international public health and its relationship with development.
• Educate and inform a variety of audiences, both organizations and individuals, about the Pan American Health Organization's mission and role as an international public health organization in existence for more than 100 years.
• Share information on PAHO’s areas of expertise in various areas of public health, including disease prevention and control, immunization, health promotion, adolescent health, maternal and child health, disaster and emergency preparedness, women's health and gender issues, environmental protection, urbanization, violence, road safety, emerging and re-emerging diseases, HIV/AIDS, health sector reform and reduction of social inequities.
• Distribute printed and digital information about how to access PAHO’s scientific and technological periodicals, videos, books and Internet materials.

Visitors have the opportunity to visit our headquarters building, located near the famous Watergate complex, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the U.S. State Department. Designed by Uruguayan architect Roman Fresnedo Siri, who won an international competition for the project in the mid-1980s, the building is a unique architectural feature of the Washington, D.C., landscape. Its unusual design has inspired the nickname "the little U.N." because of the building’s resemblance to United Nations headquarters in New York.

Requests for visits, interviews or speakers should be directed to the PAHO Speakers Bureau at (202) 974-3051 -  Patricia De los Rios: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our recent visitors include: Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, Yale University, World Affairs Council and the Fulbright Association, The Washington Center - Ford Motor Company Global Scholars, U.S. State Department, Organization of American States (OAS) Internship Program, Drug regulatory authorities from China, Delegation of Congresswomen of Kosovo, University of Virginia, Inter-American Defense College, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Hope Foundation