Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr. was appointed as PAHO Assistant Director in July 2018.

Dr. Barbosa a national of Brazil, received his medical degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco (Recife, Brazil).  He specialized in public health and epidemiology at the National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-FIOCRUZ (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).  He holds a Master's degree in Medical Sciences and a PhD in public health from the University of Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil).

Dr. Barbosa began his professional career in public health in 1982, working for the State Department of Health in Pernambuco where he was later appointed as Program Coordinator for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS.  He subsequently served as Municipal Secretary of Health in Olinda and State Secretary of Health in Pernambuco.

From 1997 to 2003, Dr. Barbosa held the position of Director of the National Center for Epidemiology (CENEPI) in Brasilia, Brazil, within the Ministry of Health. In this, he was the substantive Coordinator of the National Health Surveillance, Prevention and Control System.  

Dr. Barbosa joined PAHO in 2007 as Area Manager, Health Surveillance and Disease Management, where he was responsible for coordinating regional activities related to the surveillance, prevention, and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases; veterinary public health; and health analysis and statistics.  He served in this capacity until his return to Brazil in April 2010.  

In 2011, Dr. Barbosa was appointed Secretary (Vice Minister) of Health Surveillance and later as Secretary (Vice Minister) of Science, Technology and Strategic Supplies for the Ministry of Health (Brazil).  He has been a member of the Brazilian delegation to the World Health Assembly, WHO Executive Board, and PAHO Directing Council, and representative of Brazil to PAHO Executive Committee (EC) from 2012 to 2014 where he served as Chair of the EC from 2013 to 2014.

From July 2015 until 19 July 2018, Dr. Barbosa served as the Director-President of the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA).