Launch of the Regional Platform to Advance the Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines and other Health Technologies in the Americas

Launching event

WHAT: Launching a collaborative Regional Platform to Advance the Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines and other Health Technologies in the Americas

WHEN:  27 August 2021 

WEB NOTE:    

COVID-19 has shed light on the high dependence of Latin America and the Caribbean on imports of health technologies from outside the Region and the vulnerability of global supply. PAHO its Member States and regional partners have renewed the efforts to improve local production capacities in the region and, at the request of Member States, PAHO is launching a collaborative Platform that can convene public and private stakeholders to facilitate the expansion of vaccine and other health technology research, development, and manufacturing in the Region.

This first meeting of the Regional Platform will formalize the launch of this forum and will facilitate a high-level dialogue amongst Member States, development agencies and partners. Acting as a convener, PAHO will ensure that the public health perspective is central to the agenda and will be used to guide the construction of alliances that can accelerate vaccine and other critical health technology manufacturing in the Americas.

The platform will foster research and incentivize development and manufacturing of essential and strategic health technologies in the Americas, expanding manufacturing capacities to ensure access to safe, effective, and quality products, facilitate information exchange and foster cooperation between partners and countries.

In addition, a rational and coherent regional approach will include considerations for regulatory oversight, articulation with the PAHO Revolving Fund and contemplating all elements of the value chain to ensure that the region becomes less dependent on imports and, especially, self-sufficient during public health emergencies. 

AGENDA

• Welcome and opening remarks, Carissa F. Etienne, Director, PAHO  

• An opportunity for high-level engagement to foster manufacturing of health products in the Americas: A regional Platform Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., Assistant Director, PAHO

• The global context and initiatives United Nations Agencies, Non-government Organizations and Development banks

  • Soumya Swaminathan, World Health Organization

  • Anabel González, World Trade Organization

  • Richard Hatchett, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI)

Moderator: Analía Porrás, Unit Chief, Medicines and Health Technologies, PAHO 

• The regional context and initiatives Ministers of Health, Production, Science and Technology, Research institutions, Non-Government Organization, and Development bank

  •  Daniel Salas Peraza, Minister of Health, Costa Rica

  • María Apólito, Subsecretaria de Economía del Conocimiento, Argentina 

  • Andrés Couve, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Chile

  • Nísia Trindade Lima, President Oswaldo Cruz Foundation 

  • William Savedoff, Principal Health Specialist – Social Protection and Health Division Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

  • Alberto Arenas, Chief, Social Development Division, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Moderator: James Fitzgerald, Director, Health System and Services Department, PAHO

• Closing remarks Carissa F. Etienne, Director PAHO

Call for expression of interest to contribute to the value chain and supply of reagents for the sustainable manufacturing of a COVID-19 and other mRNA vaccines in the Americas

Know more

RECORDINGS

Other information

CD59/8 - Increasing Production Capacity for Essential Medicines and Health Technologies - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

PAHO launches new collaborative platform to boost regional production of COVID-19 vaccines

Factsheet - The Role of the Revolving Fund in Global Initiatives - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization 

PAHO Strategic Fund - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization