Americas Health Foundation

Americas Health Foundation AHF is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in health policy change in Latin America and abroad.

Dengue is placing an unprecedented burden on health systems across Latin America. In 2024, the Region of the Americas re...
06/02/2026

Dengue is placing an unprecedented burden on health systems across Latin America. In 2024, the Region of the Americas reported nearly 13 million dengue cases and more than 8,000 deaths, representing most of the global reported burden.

Behind these numbers lies a much larger crisis: in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, modeling studies suggest that true dengue incidence may be up to 10–25 times higher than what surveillance systems capture.

To respond, Americas Health Foundation convened the Latin America Dengue Task Force in Bogotá, bringing together 16 experts in epidemiology, clinical care, vaccination, vector control, and health policy from across the region.

We are proud that their recommendations are now published in Vaccines (MDPI, 2026) as a peer‑reviewed, evidence‑based roadmap to strengthen surveillance, address insecticide resistance, reinforce health systems, optimize vaccination strategies, and improve governance for sustained dengue prevention.

Read the article here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/14/6/488

Thank you authors:
Marisa Aizenberg | University of Buenos Aires
Zulma M. Cucunubá | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Wilfrido Coronell Rodriguez | Universidad de Cartagena
Judit Marisa Díaz Bazán | Women in Global Health
Fernando Ariel García Terrón | AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Gamaliel Gutierrez | Pan American Health Organization
| Alexander von Humboldt Tropical Medicine Institute
Martin Casapia | National University of the Peruvian Amazon
| Centro Nacional de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades
Jose Alejandro Mojica Madera | Ministry of Health and Social Protection
Tomás Agustín Orduna | Francisco Javier Muñiz Infectious Diseases Hospital
Victoria Pando-Robles | Center for Research on Infectious Diseases
Mariana Rico Restrepo | Americas Health Foundation
Jaime R. Torres | Universidad Central de Venezuela
| Ministry of Health and Social Protection
Ivan Dario VELEZ BERNAL | University of Antioquia

Thank you, Takeda, for the sponsorship that supported this effort.

AHF-led CAR T access debate for Brazil is now in the national press.This week, g1 featured the Americas Health Foundatio...
05/20/2026

AHF-led CAR T access debate for Brazil is now in the national press.

This week, g1 featured the Americas Health Foundation paper "The evolving landscape of CAR T-cell therapy access in Brazil," published in Frontiers Hematology and convened by AHF with co-authors from Oncoclínicas&Co, Unifesp - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, Unimed Nacional, Consultoria Oliveira Scaff, and Casa Hunter - Associação Brasileira de Doenças Raras.

The article, written by Talyta Vespa, captures key aspects documented by our expert panel:

- Brazil has approved multiple CAR T-cell therapies in recent years and has developed one of the most advanced access pathways in Latin America.

- In some hematologic cancers, overall response rates approach 80%, with complete remissions in a substantial proportion of treated patients, but treatment can cost several million reais per case.

- Specialized CAR T capacity remains concentrated in a small number of centers, and in many situations cells still need to be shipped abroad for manufacturing before infusion.

As AHF co-author and Chairman of the Board Stephen Stefani told g1, a large share of patients currently obtain access through judicial litigation, underscoring that the system functions case by case rather than through structured, population-wide coverage. Our article details how these dynamics exacerbate inequities between Brazil’s public Unified Health System (SUS) and the supplementary private sector.

There is a lot of work ahead to move from exceptional, litigated access to predictable, equitable coverage of CAR T in Brazil.

We invite policymakers, payers, clinicians, patient advocates, and industry partners to engage with these findings and help shape sustainable solutions for the Brazilian context.

Link to article in Frontiers: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/hematology/articles/10.3389/frhem.2026.1813861/full

Link to g1 feature: https://g1.globo.com/saude/noticia/2026/05/16/brasil-avanca-em-terapia-revolucionaria-contra-cancer-que-custa-ate-r-4-milhoes-por-dose-mas-pacientes-ainda-morrem-esperando-acesso.ghtml

Americas Health Foundation (AHF) is proud to present the 23rd issue of Vaccines Beat, an AHF initiative of the advancin...
05/19/2026

Americas Health Foundation (AHF) is proud to present the 23rd issue of Vaccines Beat, an AHF initiative of the advancing evidence-based dialogue on immunization and global health.

In this edition’s “Coffee with the Expert,” Dr. Montserrat Arroyo Kuribreña, Deputy Director General at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), shares insights on zoonoses, One Health, and strengthening global preparedness through international standards.

This issue also underscores the urgency of moving from coverage to timeliness, closing persistent gaps in adult and maternal immunization, and advancing equitable access to next-generation tools, from RSV prevention and influenza innovation to HPV elimination and regional vaccine manufacturing.

Through Vaccines Beat, AHF connects experts, policymakers, and partners to support informed decisions and expand vaccine access.

Explore the full issue here: https://lnkd.in/eieUZZtV

To sponsor or partner: [email protected]

Implementation of CAR T-cell therapy in Brazil depends on stakeholders who rarely work in a coordinated way: hematologis...
05/12/2026

Implementation of CAR T-cell therapy in Brazil depends on stakeholders who rarely work in a coordinated way: hematologist‑oncologists, regulatory and public health experts, patient advocacy leaders, and healthcare technology specialists.

In July 2025, the Americas Health Foundation convened six Brazilian leaders across those domains for consensus conference. The output, published in Frontiers in Hematology (2026), is a multi‑sector framework for moving from regulatory approval to equitable access.

Our paper, "Bridging innovation and equity: the evolving landscape of CAR T-cell therapy access in Brazil," documents the evolving legal foundation for CAR T products, the current commercial landscape, coverage patterns across SUS, private insurance, and judicial pathways, manufacturing, workforce, and infrastructure constraints, and outcome‑based contracting and innovative reimbursement models.

Brazil’s experience offers a framework that can be replicated in other resource‑limited settings facing similar challenges in integrating advanced therapies into mixed public–private health systems.

Read the full article: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/hematology/articles/10.3389/frhem.2026.1813861/full

Authors: Renato Cunha, M.D-Ph.D (Oncoclínicas & UNIFESP), Andreia Bessa (Casa Hunter), Martha Oliveira, Rogério Scarabel (Consultoria Oliveira Scaff), Jayr Schmidt Filho (AC Camargo Cancer Center), Stephen Stefani (AHF Board, Unimed Central RS), Angela Jansen, PhD, MHS (AHF) and Gayatri Sanku (AHF)

We are proud to be a partner at the World Vaccine Congress Europe 2026, alongside BactiVac, Vaccine Insights, and BioPha...
05/05/2026

We are proud to be a partner at the World Vaccine Congress Europe 2026, alongside BactiVac, Vaccine Insights, and BioPharma Asia Magazine.

At the Americas Health Foundation (AHF), our work sits at the intersection of evidence, policy, and access. As we engage with global partners in Europe, we bring a distinct perspective from Latin America, characterized by regulatory complexity, access inequities, and the urgent need for sustainable immunization strategies across the life course.

For our partners in the pharmaceutical and vaccine space, this is an opportunity to better understand the policy, access, and system-level dynamics and opportunities for uptake where gaps remain.

Looking forward to meaningful discussions and new collaborations in Barcelona.

Join us at : https://lnkd.in/dzq8kAXf

Americas Health Foundation is pleased to join the FIFARMA Annual Summit 2026 in Brasília, focusing on advancing health i...
05/05/2026

Americas Health Foundation is pleased to join the FIFARMA Annual Summit 2026 in Brasília, focusing on advancing health innovation and expanding patient access across Latin America. Representing AHF on the ground are Dick Salvatierra, President, and Marcela Santos Navas, Project Director.

Together with partners across the region, we are committed to transforming dialogue into action. Contact AHF to see how you can get involved: https://lnkd.in/gNA63u4T

Americas Health Foundation is participating in the Encuentro de Periodismo en Salud (Más años, mejor vida: el poder de l...
04/29/2026

Americas Health Foundation is participating in the Encuentro de Periodismo en Salud (Más años, mejor vida: el poder de la vacunación), taking place April 28–29 in São Paulo, where Dr. Maria Gabriela Abalos referenced AHF's Latin America Vaccination Scorecard during her panel on the power of vaccination.

Marcela Santos Navas and Aline Herrera are representing AHF on the ground, sharing the Latin America Vaccination Scorecard, a project AHF built in collaboration with Pfizer.

AHF's Scorecard is the first regional map of where Latin America stands and where it needs to go. It evaluates Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and Peru across four key pillars: data and information, financing, access and vaccination points, and adapted communication.

Pediatric frameworks are generally solid. The major gaps are in adolescents, adults, older adults, and pregnant women. Systemic challenges persist across the region: inconsistent data, insufficient financing, limited service hours and access points, and communication that is poorly adapted to each population.

By translating evidence into a regional agenda, AHF is proposing a roadmap toward life-course vaccination, the next frontier of public health in the Americas.

If your organization, foundation, or donor-advised fund is investing in vaccine equity in Latin America, we want to talk: https://lnkd.in/gNA63u4T

Americas Health Foundation is pleased to share that the article “Bridging Innovation and Equity: The Evolving Landscape ...
04/23/2026

Americas Health Foundation is pleased to share that the article “Bridging Innovation and Equity: The Evolving Landscape of CAR-T Cell Therapy Access in Brazil” has been accepted for publication in Frontiers in Hematology (Gene Therapy, Cell Therapy and Hematology section).

Following a rigorous peer-review process, this work was recognized for its contribution to advancing discussions on equitable access to innovative therapies. This publication reflects AHF’s commitment to convening leading experts and driving collaborative, evidence-based solutions to expand access to cutting-edge treatments across Brazil and Latin America.

Congratulations authors & AHF Team: Renato Cunha, M.D-Ph.D, Andreia Bessa, Martha Oliveira, Rogério Scarabel, Jayr Schmidt Filho, Stephen Stefani, Gayatri Sanku, and Angela Jansen, PhD, MHS.

The article will be published in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for its release and join us in advancing the dialogue on expanding equitable access to CAR-T therapies across the region: https://lnkd.in/gNA63u4T

IMMUNOTHERAPY ACCESS POLICY MOMENTUM: The conversation around immunotherapy access in Brazil continues to gain ground.In...
03/31/2026

IMMUNOTHERAPY ACCESS POLICY MOMENTUM: The conversation around immunotherapy access in Brazil continues to gain ground.

In recent G1 features, Dr. Stephen Stefani, Chairman of the Americas Health Foundation Board, highlighted what Brazil’s growing focus on oncology innovation means for health systems and patients across Latin America.

One article spotlighted the Butantan Institute’s plan to produce immunotherapies domestically for the SUS, a critical milestone that shifts the conversation from regulatory approval to sustainable access and local manufacturing capacity. Another centered on the continuum of cancer care, from prevention to advanced treatment, emphasizing that innovation matters only when it reaches those who need it most.

Together with the Senate’s recent approval of PL 2.371/2021, these developments reveal a clear momentum: Brazil is building the policy and industrial foundations for a new era in public oncology care. However, translating this into access requires coordinated partnerships connecting scientific evidence, reimbursement strategies, and scalable delivery approaches.

At Americas Health Foundation, we bring together the evidence base, stakeholder networks, and policy expertise needed to move the needle from principle to practice, working towards equitable access across Latin America.

For organizations working to expand oncology access or demonstrate sustainable health impact in the region, we welcome collaboration. Contact our CMO at [email protected]

PROJECT UPDATE - Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in Latin America: Equity, Access, and ActionAmericas Health Found...
03/30/2026

PROJECT UPDATE - Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in Latin America: Equity, Access, and Action

Americas Health Foundation recently convened PAH stakeholders from across Latin America to develop a framework of action that promotes access to timely diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and coordinated follow-up for every person living with PAH in Latin America, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status.

Thank you to our KOLs: Caio Fernandes, Tomas Pulido, Diego Fernando Gil Cardozo, Mauricio Orozco-Levi, and Guillermo Bortman PHMD, Marcos Padilla & AHF Team: Dick Salvatierra, Mariana Rico Restrepo, Angela Jansen, PhD, MHS, and Gayatri Sanku.

The work to ensure access to evidence-based care in the region continues. Let's connect and collaborate: https://lnkd.in/gNA63u4T

Address

Washington D.C., DC
20003

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12023719696

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Americas Health Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category