The International Sanitary Bureau still consisted of the same 7 members under the chairmanship of Walter Wyman when—in 1910—the 4th International Conference of the American States approved that the Bureau should be provided with an office in Washington by the Pan American Union. No action was taken to recruit that employee until 1921 when the salary of an “executive clerk” first appeared on the Bureau´s budget.

On December 2, 1902, at the First International Sanitary Convention of the Americas in Washington, D.C., 11 nations joined to form an International Sanitary Bureau for the Americas, that has become today’s Pan American Health Organization. The idea was to drive progress in international health collaboration as well as solve the health problems that were interfering with international trade in the Americas.

In 2012, the Pan American Health Organization will celebrate its 110th anniversary. PAHO was established in 1902 and works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of their peoples.

It enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, and as the health organization of the Inter-American System.