Many governments obtained support for new loans or reprogrammed existing loans 💰from international financial institutions.
 
Several countries are moving forward with special allocations and programs to reinforce health services at the primary care level.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

Public investments in health during the pandemic 🦠 increased in many countries to improve health service capacities for COVID-19, to maintain essential health services, and to deploy COVID-19 vaccines 💉

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But we’ve seen throughout this pandemic that countries can increase public spending on health 🩺
 
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Few countries invest as much public spending in their health systems 🏥 as they should, leaving them prone to shortages in health personnel 👨🏾‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️ and essential supplies, as well as crumbling infrastructure and underfunded essential public health functions.
 
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Chronic underinvestment has made the Americas 🌎 vulnerable to COVID-19.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

To address these inequities, countries 🌎 must prioritize public investments in their health systems to leave no one behind.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

It’s essential to bring more people into the system & improve access for all, because even before the pandemic, nearly 30% of people in our region couldn’t access health services because of who they are, where they live or because the cost was simply too high @DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

This is especially true during a pandemic 🦠, as it’s at the primary care level that COVID testing, contact tracing and immunizations 💉 take place.
 
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So, when countries deprioritize these services, they leave patients with fewer of the services and care they need to stay healthy 🩺
 
That’s why building more resilient health systems 🏥 should start here, at the first level of care.
 
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19

🔸Primary care is the backbone of our health systems 🏥

Strong primary care services can meet most people’s health needs, close to the communities they serve.

It’s also at the primary health care level that prevention takes a big focus.

@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19