The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reports that Latin America and the Caribbean can and must become an actor in the development and production of new vaccines, within the framework of a coordinated regional health strategy.
This was pointed out by Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
He noted that Latin America and the Caribbean is the region hardest hit by the pandemic, with only 8.4% of the world’s population, but 32.5% of deaths from COVID-19 globally.
Alicia Barcena added that the region is facing a paradox today because although it will grow by 5.2% in 2021, the problem of debt and lack of fiscal space still exists, poverty affects 209 million people and extreme poverty 82 million, and informality and unemployment are not recovering.
“We are in the middle-income countries’ trap,” he stressed.
The senior official warned of inequality in access to vaccines, and noted the disparities that exist within the region and those with the rest of the world. He noted that only 16.8% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean have a complete vaccination regimen, while the figure in the United States and Canada reaches 49.3% of the population, with a surplus of vaccines. 44.6% of the European population has been vaccinated.
“We are concerned that the acquisition of some countries exceeds their vaccination needs. He stressed that the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan account for 43.9% of purchase commitments, with only 12.9% of the world’s population.
Alicia Barcena highlighted the importance of strengthening regional mechanisms for co-procurement of existing vaccines, such as the PAHO Vaccine Revolving Fund, the PAHO Strategic Fund, and the Inter-American Network for Pharmaceutical Regulatory Coordination.
with information Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Press Release
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