PAHO is tracking this closely and is on deck to support countries, international organizations, companies, and partners to find alternative solutions to guarantee access to future COVID therapeutic tools, including antivirals 💊
…we worry that many of the countries that have been hardest hit by COVID – including many countries in our region 🌎 – do not qualify for these pledges.
Although it is encouraging that some companies developing novel COVID antivirals 💊 have pledged to make their products available at affordable prices 💰 in the world’s poorest countries…
That’s why we need to start working now to expand production capacity for these lifesaving tools – including in our own region 🌎 – so countries don’t remain completely dependent on pharmaceutical imports.
As we’ve seen with COVID vaccines 💉, procurement and supply can be major barriers and keep innovation out of reach for those who need it most.
➡️ So, we cannot and must not let history repeat itself.
The first lesson is that every decision must be grounded in evidence 📄
The second lesson is that we must be ready to deploy these tools once they become available.
If they are approved by regulatory authorities, we must be ready to leverage these technologies, building on the lessons of the last 2️⃣ years.
Right now, there are a few promising new drugs 💊 in late-stage development that may help us treat COVID, avoid hospitalizations 🏥 and prevent deaths.
There is no magic bullet to protect us against COVID-19. That’s why we must embrace new tools ⚒️ and use them wisely.
Vaccine 💉 inequity continues to divide our region and if we don’t address glaring gaps, we’ll fail to bring this virus 🦠 under control.
