During the biennium, PAHO provided comprehensive support for strengthening preparedness and response to health emergencies and disasters in Colombia, with a multihazard and territorial approach.
Through strategic risk analysis methodologies, strengthening inter-institutional coordination, training and equipping rapid response teams, and developing response plans, the capacities of the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Health, and health authorities in eight priority departments (Amazonas, Arauca, Chocó, Guainía, La Guajira, Nariño, Norte de Santander, and Vichada) were strengthened. In the laboratory sphere, technical cooperation enabled the reactivation and strengthening of subnational networks, the decentralization of molecular diagnostics in Tolima and Putumayo, the reopening of the Caquetá Laboratory, and the maintenance of the Amazonas Laboratory. Under an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, integrated surveillance was consolidated and intersectoral governance for zoonotic and emerging threats was strengthened.
These advances increase the resilience of the health system, reduce the vulnerability of populations in high-risk contexts, and contribute to a more timely and effective response to emergencies, protecting the continuity of essential services and population health.