Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 8

14 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 8 IONAL DICINES Why did this pandemic catch us at such a bad time? Because we import everything, that is part of the problem are concerned that some countries’ acquisitions exceed their vaccination needs. The European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Japan account for 43.9% of purchase commitments, with just 12.9% of the global population,” she emphasized. ECLAC’s highest authority underscored that the health-care manufacturing industry in the region is marked by a low level of technological development and high dependence on the production of multinational companies and imports. In 2019, imports doubled the amount of exports, with the deficit exceeding $20 billion dollars. “Why did this pandemic catch us at such a bad time? Because we import everything, that is part of the problem. Our national and regional industry produces generic drugs, but not innovative medicines. We have very low investment in research and development, which we must boost,” Alicia Bárcena stated. In her remarks to the high-level authorities from the region, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary detailed the eight priority areas of the Comprehensive Plan for Health Self-Sufficiency along with its five lines of action. The priority areas include joint purchasing by public health systems, consortiums for financing research and production, clinical trial platforms, intellectual property, an inventory of regional capacities, regulatory standards, the development of regional suppliers, and universal access to vaccination and primary health care. The five lines of action on which progress has been made, and on which further progress is proposed at a regional or subregional level, consist of a regional mechanism for vaccine purchases, the creation of consortiums to accelerate vaccine development, platforms for clinical trials, access to intellectual property, and an inventory of regional capacities. Alicia Bárcena emphasized the importance of strengthening existing regional mechanisms for joint vaccine purchases, such as the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), PAHO’s Strategic Fund, and the Pan-American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization. Furthermore, she stressed the relevance of articulating sectors and actors through subregional integration bodies such as the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Pacific Alliance. Finally, the senior UN official specified that the plan proposes four pillars for joint action, convening a broad range of national and regional actors: technology development, product development, manufacturing and purchasing, and delivery and universal access.