Readout of Secretary Azar’s Meetings in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Today, after the conclusion of the G20 Health Ministerial Meeting, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina for meetings. In the morning, he met with the American Chamber of Commerce in Buenos Aires to discuss the importance of innovation to improve health outcomes and the role played by intellectual property protections in incentivizing innovation.  

Following the roundtable, Secretary Azar met with U.S. Ambassador to the Argentine Republic Edward Prado to discuss the political and economic environment in Argentina and the impact of Argentina’s engagement in global health bilaterally and in the multilateral arena. They also discussed Argentina’s response to the Venezuelan regional public health crisis and how the U.S. can work with ministries of health to support a regional response.

In the afternoon, Secretary Azar attended a bilateral meeting with Dr. Adolpho Rubinstein, Secretary of Government for Health for the Argentine Republic; Claudia Perandones, Director of the National Laboratories and Health Institutes Administration; and Waldo Belloso, the Vice Director of the National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Devices. Secretary Azar congratulated Secretary Rubinstein on hosting a successful G20 Health Ministerial Meeting and reflected on topics discussed at the meeting. Secretary Azar also commended Argentina for their plans to strengthen health security by conducting in 2019 a voluntary Joint External Evaluation under the International Health Regulations and for volunteering to join the Steering Committee of the Global Health Security Agenda. They discussed the U.S. and Argentina responses to the Venezuelan regional public health crisis and also areas in which our two governments collaborate on health.

Tonight, Secretary Azar will travel home to the United States. This serves as the final readout of his meetings in Brazil and Argentina for the G20 Health Ministerial Meeting.

To read the other readouts, please visit: https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/secretary/news-releases/index.html.