Belize receives second shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX 12 May 2021
Belize City, Belize, 12 May 2021 (PAHO) - Today, Belize received its second shipment of 33,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility, a global partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility was established by the World Health Organization to ensure fair allocation and equitable access to vaccines for all countries, especially those that may not have enough resources to secure initial access to vaccine supply. Through COVAX, countries are first given the opportunity to secure vaccines for at least 20 percent of their population. In the case of Belize, coverage for 30% of the population was negotiated. Once all participating countries
PAHO steps up assistance to help countries cope with shortages of oxygen and health workers
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Tens of thousands more doctors and nurses expected to be needed to manage ICUs in Latin America and the Caribbean. PAHO helps countries deploy medical teams and scale up oxygen production; donates vital supplies.
Washington, D.C., May 12, 2021 (PAHO) – As shortages of health workers loom and oxygen supplies run “dangerously low,” the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is intensifying donations and technical assistance to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne said today.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, “the rise in hospitalizations across our region is triggering an unprecedented oxygen supply challenge,” Dr. Etienne said at her weekly media briefing. In response, PAHO is helping countries scale up oxygen production and donating vital supplies, including 7,000 pulse oximeters and nearly 2,000 oxygen compressors.
Countries report more than 1.3 million new cases in the Americas while nearly 36,000 die from the disease in one week.
Washington, D.C. April 14, 2021 (PAHO) – Warning that COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the Americas have slowed, Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F. Etienne urged countries to employ a “comprehensive strategy” of not only immunization but also public health measures to curb the surging pandemic.
1 in 4 COVID-19 deaths reported globally last week happened in the Americas
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PAHO Director warns that health systems in some countries are overwhelmed and urges nations with extra vaccines to donate them to the region.
Washington, D.C., April 28, 2021 (PAHO) – Hospitals in South and Central America are struggling to cope with a heavy influx of COVID-19 patients as the pandemic continues to surge across the region, Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F. Etienne reported today.
“Hospitalizations are at an all-time high in Costa Rica, and we expect more patients will require care as the country reported a 50% jump in cases in the last week,” Dr. Etienne told reporters at her weekly media briefing. “Guatemala’s hospitals have also reached maximum capacity,” she said, and at hospitals in Colombia, “ICU beds are running out in major metropolitan cities like Bogota and Medellin.”
PAHO report: COVID-19 highlights need for strengthening national regulatory authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean 26 Apr 2021
Study draws lessons for the region from the six national regulatory authorities of reference in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico.
Washington, D.C., April 26, 2021 (PAHO) The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for strengthening national regulatory authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new medicines and medical products, a new report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) asserts.
“During the pandemic, we have watched the rapid deployment of clinical trials, the introduction of new and repurposed treatments, and now the development and use of new vaccines, many based on innovative and groundbreaking technological platforms,” said PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa. “Throughout these processes, the role of regulatory authorities as indepen