WASHINGTON, DC, United States (CMC) — Director of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr Carissa F Etienne is urging Caribbean countries as well as those in the Americas to prepare to manage the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic closely for the next two years.
“In the absence of effective treatments or a widely available vaccine, we expect that over the next two years the region of the Americas will experience recurring COVID-19 outbreaks, which may be interspersed with periods of limited transmission,” said the Dominican-born Dr Etienne.
Dr Etienne urged countries to adjust and coordinate their COVID-19 response based on increasingly detailed data.
Dr Etienne said flexible responses are key, stating that “public health measures, as well as social protection efforts, will need to be reviewed regularly to minimise the impact of the virus in our societies.
“We must also continue to strengthen our health systems, which are our strongest defence against COVID-19 – today and in the future,” Dr Etienne said, adding that PAHO's recommendation of a public health expenditure benchmark of at least six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) is “relevant now, more than ever.
