During gLocal Evaluation Week 2025, PAHO brought together leading voices from across Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss one of the most pressing questions in public health: how can decision-makers use evidence and evaluation to choose the right path for better health outcomes?
The session titled “Choosing the Right Path: Using Evidence to Guide Public Health Decisions in Latin America and the Caribbean”, was moderated by Sarah Cruz, Evaluation Specialist at PAHO, and featured a distinguished panel including opening remarks from Mary Lou Valdez, PAHO Deputy Director.
“Evidence isn’t just data—it’s the compass that helps us navigate toward better health for all,” said Mary Lou Valdez in her opening remarks, emphasizing PAHO’s commitment to results-based management, learning, and accountability.
Turning evaluation into action
Marina Laffer, Research Fellow at the Inter-American Development Bank’s Office of Evaluation (OVE-IDB), opened the discussion by framing how evaluation evidence is used—or sometimes underused—in decision-making processes. Drawing from the IDB’s independent Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE), she outlined how evidence use can be direct (shaping concrete policy or program decisions), conceptual (changing how organizations think), or symbolic (used to validate or justify actions). Laffer underscored the importance of strengthening evaluation capacity development (ECD) at the organizational, individual, and systemic levels, highlighting initiatives like EVALAC Training Week and legal frameworks for M&E systems in Brazil.
Shantal Aragón, Director of Evidence Use at CLEAR-LAC and Senior Training and Education Manager at J-PAL LAC, followed with insights on overcoming institutional barriers to evidence use. She reminded the audience that, “To strengthen evaluation capacities, we must invest in people and focus on small but strategic victories that lead to transformation.” Aragón emphasized practical approaches such as innovating within institutions, understanding the root causes of problems before acting, and nurturing a culture of evidence-based policymaking.
From evidence to budget decisions
Cristian Herrera, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, explored how countries can leverage evaluation to link policy with public spending, sharing real-world examples from health financing and results-based budgeting across Latin America. He stressed that institutionalizing evaluation not only improves efficiency but also ensures accountability in how health resources are allocated and used.
Dr. Andrés Castañeda, Coordinator of the National Public Health Service, Ministry of Health of Mexico, brought these ideas to life with Mexico’s case study on evaluating the Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF). Through collaboration between federal and state health authorities—with PAHO’s support—the evaluation tool helped identify gaps, align local actions with the Universal Health 2030 agenda, and turn evidence into concrete policy measures. Findings revealed disparities across states and underscored the importance of continuous monitoring, equitable resource allocation, and community participation.
Learning from emergencies: The PAHO COVID-19 Experience
Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of Health Emergencies at PAHO, shared lessons from PAHO’s COVID-19 response external evaluation, which led to a comprehensive institutional strengthening process known as IREP-C19. The initiative translated evaluation findings into an action plan with 68 products and 23 expected results, focusing on areas such as governance, digital innovation, health equity, and emergency response coordination. The process, he said, exemplifies how evaluation can drive organizational learning and regional preparedness: “Evaluation is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of improvement.”
Key takeaways and a call to action
In closing, Rony Maza, PAHO’s Director of Planning, Budget and Evaluation (PBE), thanked participants and reiterated PAHO’s commitment to building a culture where evaluation drives better decisions and stronger health systems.
“Evaluation gives us direction. It helps us ask the right questions—and make sure we’re walking the right path toward healthier, more resilient societies,” Mr. Maza said.
The event underscored that the journey toward evidence-informed decision-making is both collective and continuous, calling on governments, partners, and civil society to work hand-in-hand to strengthen evaluation systems across the region.
Missed it? You can watch the full session recording and access using the passcode: wQ59m$vM, and access to the slides [here].