JAMAICA is among three countries that have been named to the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). The other countries are Canada and Paraguay.

The countries replaced Colombia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the committee whose mandate eexpired at the end of the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference yesterday in Washington, DC, in the United States.

According to PAHO, the Executive Committee — consisting of representatives of nine member governments elected by the conference or the council for staggered three-year terms — meets twice yearly to consider technical and administrative matters, including the programme and budget, and submits its recommendations to the conference or council.

The sub-committee on planning and programming of the Executive Committee was reorganised in 1984 to enhance the participation of the governments in planning the organisation's activities. It is made up of delegates from seven countries, meets twice yearly, and reports directly to the Executive Committee.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson attended the conference, which started on Monday. Accompanying him were Permanent Secretary Dr Jean Dixon, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Coombs, and director of International Corporation in Health, Ava-Gay Timberlake.