Washington, September 22 (EFE). – This Wednesday, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa Etienne, called on the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to expand their support to confront the current health crisis, and stressed this. They will not get out of the Covid-19 epidemic “without solidarity”.
“We are fighting our lives against SARS-CoV-2 and I don’t know at this moment who is the winner, but we have to make sure that the winners are us and that we can get out of the epidemic,” he said. Etienne speaks at the 59th Pan American Health Organization Steering Board meeting, held approx.
Etienne called on the countries of the American continent to rely on Canada and the United States, stressing their commitment to reach “the end of the epidemic as soon as possible.”
The director acknowledged that the region needed “greater access” to diagnostic tests, products and vaccines, but considered it would also be important to address “vaccine reluctance.”
On this day, the Pan American Health Organization presented a report with an update on the situation of COVID-19 in the Americas, which reported that the region had reported “39% of cases and 47% of deaths that occurred as of August 24. They are registered in the world due to COVID-19.” “.
The document notes that Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and the United States “were among the ten countries that reported the largest number of cumulative cases worldwide.”
While Brazil, Colombia, the United States, Mexico and Peru were “among the ten countries with the highest number of accumulated deaths” in the world.
The update considered the “alarming” increase in cases of coronavirus infection in South and Central America in the first half of 2021, in the context of describing it as a gradual spread of vaccination.
Although the report considers that “the path of the epidemic in America remains highly uncertain,” it indicates as a “possible scenario” that countries in the region may continue to face a “localized outbreak” until “well into 2022.”
These cases can occur in institutions such as nursing homes or prisons, as well as in densely populated peri-urban areas and rural settings.
On the other hand, the Pan American Health Organization has warned of “varying degrees of continuing interruptions” in essential health services as a result of the pandemic.
On this topic, the Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Garbas Barbosa, indicated in presenting the report that an increase of about 19% in the maternal mortality rate is expected, which he warned represents a “reversal in the achievements” made in the past 13 years. . EFE
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