A landmark report released today by the World Bank–Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Lancet Regional Health Americas Commission warns that the failure to build resilience within primary health care (PHC) in Latin America and the Caribbean could lead to significant preventable losses in both lives and long term economic development.

The report, No Time to Wait: Resilience as the Cornerstone of Primary Health Care in Latin America and the Caribbean, was launched on the sidelines of PAHO’s 62nd Directing Council in Washington, D.C., before ministers of health and high-level delegates from across the region.

It outlines stark projections: if a health emergency—such as a pandemic or natural disaster—were to reduce primary health care delivery by 25–50% for one to five years, the region could face upto 165,000 preventable deaths and economic losses between US$7–37 billion.

These deaths could include as many as 11,300 maternal deaths, 10,000 child deaths, and more than 149,000 deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), along with up to 14 million unintended pregnancies.