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Ecuador is part of a list of more than 10 countries to which the US will donate vaccines, through Covax
Posted On 04 Jun 2021
The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) , Carissa F. Etienne, thanked this Thursday, June 3, 2021, for the support of the United States government , through its plan to share doses of vaccines against covid- 19. It will do so through the Covax initiative .
Ecuador is part of a list of more than 10 countries to which the US will donate vaccines, through Covax
“The actions announced today by the White House are a good step forward in our effort to bring vaccines to the arms of our populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, ” he said. “We are grateful for this dose-sharing initiative and urge other countries with surplus vaccines to follow the example of the United States .”
The US government reported that it plans to send a first round of 25 million doses, including 19 million delivered through the Covax Mechanism , to countries around the world. They are “around six million for countries in South and Central America, including Ecuador . In addition, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Haiti and other countries of the Caribbean Community, as well as the Dominican Republic ”, specified the White House .
The communication also states: “The United States shares vaccines within our region and beyond our borders. We initially provided doses for our closest neighbors : Canada and Mexico. Our approach to dose sharing prioritizes Latin America and the Caribbean on a per capita basis . “
The PAHO Director noted that “effective vaccines are a beacon of hope in this crisis and we must do everything in our power to ensure that more doses are available to all the countries of the Americas . Regional solidarity, including the donation of vaccines , will be key to overcoming the current shortage of supplies . “
“This pandemic is far from over and is severely hitting Latin America and the Caribbean , affecting our health, our economies and entire societies. However, only 4% of our citizens have completed their vaccination schedule “, emphasized Etienne. “The region is an epicenter of suffering from the virus. It should also be a vaccination epicenter ”.
“Our most urgent need continues to be to obtain additional vaccines and, while we appreciate the support of the United States , I also want to reiterate our call for more vaccine donations to be made to the countries of the Americas , which carry a high burden. epidemiological and do not have enough doses to cover a high proportion of their population, “he added.
To date, more than 18.9 million doses of vaccines have been delivered through the Covax Mechanism to 31 countries in the Americas . The PAHO and its Revolving Fund works with governments, producers and other partners to ensure that more vaccines can come to Latin America and the Caribbean , which are urgently needed to save lives.
