Canada and PAHO join forces to strengthen vaccine production in Latin America and the Caribbean – PAHO/WHO

WASHINGTON, DC, April 21, 2023 – The Government of Canada and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborate to Strengthen Manufacturing Capabilities to Increase Safe and Timely Access to Vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean doing.

PAHO will expand existing regional vaccine production capacity, including the production of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against COVID-19, through a C$15 million (US$11.1 million) funding provided by Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Strengthen Strengthen your current work. and other diseases.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the severe consequences of unequal access to vaccines and other medical technologies,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. “We thank Canada for supporting PAHO in this effort to expand and develop local manufacturing capacity for medical products. This is central to our strategy to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. , is an important step in achieving universal access for health.”

Dr. Barbosa discussed the collaboration with Jason Tolland, GAC Director of South America and Inter-American Affairs, during a visit to PAHO headquarters.

“Canada looks forward to implementing $15 million in support for PAHO’s COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing platform to strengthen its vaccine production capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Toland said. I was. “Canada is committed to addressing barriers to equitable access to vaccines by supporting local manufacturing initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. We recognize the enormous potential of initiatives that will help address the unique needs of COVID-19 as well as other diseases.”

Latin America and the Caribbean imports six times as many medicines as they export, leaving them vulnerable to fluctuations in global supply, especially during emergencies. During the first few years of the pandemic, acute shortages of COVID-19 vaccines reinforced the need to rapidly increase local production.

A new initiative, supported by the Canadian government, will drive action to promote an enabling environment for local vaccine production. This includes promoting greater coordination among countries and public-private partners, and strengthening national regulatory systems and policies.

This project supports PAHO’s. A regional platform to facilitate the production of COVID-19 vaccines and other health technologies in the AmericasThis includes ongoing work with the mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Program. This multilateral collaboration by the World Health Organization, the Pharmaceutical Patent Pool, and other partners aims to facilitate the transfer of mRNA vaccine manufacturing technology to low- and middle-income countries. The region now includes two of his institutions, Sinergium Biotech in Argentina and Immunobiologicals Bio-Manguinhos in Brazil.

Over the next two years, PAHO will assist Bio-Manguinhos in planning and conducting clinical trials for vaccine development, and assist Sinergium Biotech in technology transfer and acquisition of equipment required for vaccine production.

The organization will develop a guide for establishing a vaccine manufacturing pilot facility that includes business plans, technical brochures, and key information for developing equipment and supply needs.

PAHO is also working on the selection of regional training centers and is developing tools to assess countries’ readiness for vaccine development, as well as regional COVID-19 mRNA vaccine patents and medical technology production values. I have done some research on the topic of chain.

Canada’s overall support for increasing vaccine and drug manufacturing capacity in low- and middle-income countries: announced last year Remarks by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 Summit. This will increase access to a COVID-19 vaccine for people in vulnerable situations in the Americas through two contributions of C$50 million and C$45 million made to PAHO in 2021 and 2023. adds to the broad range of assistance Canada has provided since 2021. Each.

Over the past few years, PAHO has helped 37 countries and territories increase access to a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes developing and implementing national plans for vaccine deployment and use. PAHO is also supporting 32 countries and territories to expand cold chain storage and transportation capacity and mainstreaming gender equality in all operations.

As part of these efforts, 13 countries are conducting activities with a particular focus on gender and ethnicity, such as reaching remote communities with vaccines. These include identifying local perceptions about vaccines, educating communities about the benefits of vaccines, and engaging women, girls, Indigenous and African peoples, and LGBT groups in this area through science-based and culturally appropriate content. It includes workshops and knowledge dialogues to help you communicate effectively about your issues. .