On October 12th, the Special Olympics IV Latin American Games concluded in Asunción, Paraguay, capping off an inspiring week of athletic achievement and health screenings. The Games showcased over 1,000 regional athletes, with over 5,000 health screenings performed across seven Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® disciplines.
Beyond the provision of screenings and assistive devices on-site, the Games also provided an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the ongoing impact that host nation Paraguay is making to ensure people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receive access to high-quality healthcare, year-round. This was evident in the renewed partnership agreement signed between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Paraguay and Special Olympics Paraguay at the Healthy Athletes ribbon-cutting ceremony. During the ceremony, Health Coordinator for Special Olympics Paraguay, Roberto de la Cueva was awarded the prestigious Golisano Health Leadership Award for his tireless efforts to promote health equity across the country.
“I’m a firm believer that the moral fabric of any society is best assessed by how they care for the most vulnerable people among them, and there is no more vulnerable group than people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’m very pleased by what I’ve seen in Paraguay… Thank you for being a leader for Latin America and for the world in improving the health and equality for people with IDD.”
Extending beyond Latin America alone, the Games also amplified the role that sport can play in achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being. As part of the Latin American Games, Paraguay hosted the International Forum on Sports for Development, an event that called for recognizing the transformative power of sports in promoting social inclusion, health, education, and well-being for individuals with IDD.
Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Special Olympics Chief Health Officer, spoke at the Forum, joined by key regional leaders, including H.E. Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva, First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala; H.E. María Teresa Baharán, Minister of Health of the Republic of Paraguay; and Fabricio Oliveira, President of Lions Club International from Brazil. Throughout the panel, Dr. Christakis spotlighted the Rosemary Collaboratory and emphasized its contribution to building and bolstering inclusive health systems.
“Healthcare policies and healthcare delivery systems are a key driver in the health disparities that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face. I want to commend all 8 participating countries, including Paraguay, that have undertaken the important work of investigating how well their health system treats people with IDD and determining where there is room for improvement and demonstrable change.”
The findings of the assessments from the 11 Rosemary Collaboratory sites across eight countries will feature in a Global Report on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities that Special Olympics will release in 2025.
