ECLAC Presents a Plan For Regional Vaccine Production

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena presented a technical report to boost COVID-19 vaccine production capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean region.

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The report analyzed the LATAM pharmaceutical industry to propose a roadmap for regulation strengthening and cooperation links.

Barcena presented a Health Self-Sufficiency Plan aimed at offering universal access to vaccines amid the Covid-19 health emergency and future pandemics.  

Highlighting that political unity is essential to achieve integration, she informed about regional actors and strategic institutions that could play a role in pharmaceutical industry cooperation.

"The main motivation for this plan is the unequal access to vaccination..there are countries such as Chile with a high percentage of vaccinated citizens and Haiti, Guatemala, and Nicaragua with low percentages," Barcena warned.

The plan's goals include a virtual clinical data repository with a regional platform for clinical trials, a transparent and regional mechanism for purchasing vaccines and medicines, and a sub-regional purchasing platform.

"Eighty-seven percent of medicine imports come from outside the region," the ECLAC top figure said while adding that Latin America should work on regulatory bodies and the renewal of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States' mandate to concrete the proposals.