COVID-19 dictating new economic realities
THE NEED to twin food security issues with access to health services as a foundation for sustainable economic growth is one of the lessons being dictated by the COVID19 pandemic, for the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Etienne used Tuesday’s weekly update on the COVID-19 pandemic, via the Zoom platform, to warn of the need to urgently chart a new course in regional economics.
“We are here calling for a new paradigm, one in which the health of the people is at the foundation of a nation’s wealth. COVID-19 reminds us that when we invest in health systems we keep our people safe and our economy strong; when we guarantee access to health services for everyone, we reduce inequality and build more resilient societies.
“PAHO is also in close dialogue with the International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and others to help coordinate the economic response in the Americas and to ensure that future investments are based on the best evidence available to guide public health decision-making. We see a path to recovery in which the health sector is essential – both as a guide on how to keep people safe and as foundation for economic growth and well-being,” she declared.
In addition, according to Dr Etienne, countries are also realising that they must work together to strengthen pharmaceutical, vaccine and medical device supply chains in addition to the food systems. We also need to explore regional investments in manufacturing the fundamental tools that will reduce our dependency on imported products, and it is in this context that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and PAHO will be working together to shape a new model where resilient health systems and universal health coverage are viewed as key to economic growth and social protection.
To achieve this, countries must support their economies while building strong social protection networks and embracing evidence-based public health measures that are essential to saving lives, according to Dr Etienne.
“Only when countries have controlled transmission will they be in a position to implement a well-planned transition period. During this time, countries should continue to focus on health, strengthening surveillance systems, monitoring health services and rapidly responding to any resurgence of the virus, while also devising ways to stimulate our region’s economy and address poverty.”