The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is concerned about a ‘glaring’ COVID-19 vaccine gap in the Caribbean and Latin America.
As a result, the organisation’s director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, believes the region should close the gap.
“Expanding our regional capacity to manufacture strategic medical supplies – especially vaccines – is a must, both for our people and as a matter of health security,” Etienne explained.
She spoke of the need for the Caribbean and Latin America to rely less on imports and more on expanding regional production of medical products.
And Etienne said this includes vaccines.
““We must ramp up production for the entire vaccine value chain,” the PAHO Director asserted.
She explained that this would encompass from the ingredients that go into vaccines to the vials and syringes.
However, Etienne stated that production should not compromise quality.
According to PAHO, only 3% of the regional population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
And less than 4% of medical products used during the pandemic have come from the region.