Inequity around vaccines is “prolonging the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the PAHO Director
Washington DC, December 1, 2021 (PAHO) – As experts work to better understand the omicron variant, which the WHO has designated as a variant of concern, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne , called for expanding vaccination and public health measures to ensure the highest level of protection against the virus.
The PAHO Director called for calm, stressing that there are still many unknowns and that the studies will take some time to complete. At the press conference held today, he stated that, until then, “it is not clear whether the omicron variant is more transmissible than other variants, or whether it causes a more serious disease.”
Last week 753,000 new cases of COVID-19 and more than 13,000 related deaths were reported in the Region of the Americas, where the omicron variant has only been detected in Canada and Brazil. “But it is likely that other countries will begin to detect this new variant soon,” said the Director.
PAHO continues to closely monitor other variants and, for now, the delta variant remains the predominant variant in the Region of the Americas.
Dr. Etienne noted that, with just over half of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean fully vaccinated, “our region remains especially vulnerable.”
Inequity around vaccines is prolonging the COVID-19 pandemic, and the appearance of the omicron variant is an example of this, “said Dr. Etienne.
He called on governments to maintain public health measures such as the use of masks, and redouble their surveillance efforts, adding that “the more the virus that causes COVID-19 circulates, the more opportunities there will be for it to undergo changes and mute. “
Regarding the commemoration of World AIDS Day, which is celebrated on December 1 of each year, the Director of PAHO stated that “COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease that has shaken the world.”
Before the pandemic, only 65% of people with HIV infection in our Region received antiretroviral treatment, and as the pandemic progressed, the number of interruptions to these services quadrupled, putting millions of people at risk.
Given that there are effective drugs to control HIV and interrupt transmission, “we must ensure consistent and equitable access to these powerful tools.” The Director pointed out that, throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 2.4 million people with HIV infection.
This week PAHO celebrates its 119th anniversary and Dr. Etienne highlighted the progress made in public health in the Region, both in treating HIV / AIDS infection and in developing effective vaccines against COVID-19.
The Director stated that “we must work together to achieve our goals, so that all people in our Region have access to the services and tools they need to live a healthy and productive life.”
Last week, the number of COVID-19 cases was stable, albeit high, in the United States and Canada, and declined in Mexico. The number of cases also decreased in most Central American countries.
However, the number of cases has increased steadily in the Southern Cone countries and, in the Caribbean, it is accelerating in the Cayman Islands and Anguilla.
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