PAHO Wants Member Countries To Produce More Medical Supplies

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is forging stakeholder partnerships designed to bolster member countries’ capacity to manufacture medical supplies needed across the region.

PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says the entity is working closely with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Organization of American States (OAS), as well as member states to ensure that countries interested in expanding their manufacturing capacity have the requisite resources and support “to make this happen”.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (May 19), Dr. Etienne said the decision to pursue the endeavour in earnest resulted, in part, from the “glaring gaps” emerging in relation to several regional countries’ ability to access coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

She noted that this was indicative of the region’s overdependence on imports for essential medical supplies, pointing out that less than four per cent of the inputs used in the COVID-19 response have been sourced externally.

Additionally, Dr. Etienne said consequent on several factors, including supply chain delays and the lack of purchasing power, the region has struggled to compete for access to essentials such as personal protective equipment, oxygen, medicines and vaccines.

These, she maintained, are vital to the COVID-19 response, while pointing out that the inability to access adequate supplies of these pose serious health implications for citizens.

“So expanding our regional capacity to manufacture strategic medical supplies, especially vaccines, is a must, both for our people and as a matter of health security,” the Director underscored.

Dr. Etienne said the region already has some of the “building blocks” to make this happen.

Among these, she noted, are strong academic and research institutions, robust regulatory systems, an effective procurement mechanism, and existing manufacturing capacity.

She pointed out that Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Cuba have well-established vaccine manufacturing plants that have aided in immunising generations of Latin Americans.

“Some of these plants are being [upgraded] to produce COVID-19 vaccines, thanks to technology transfer agreements with the manufacturers like AstraZeneca,” the Director informed.

Dr. Etienne said, however, that meeting the region’s needs requires expanding production capacity “well beyond what is already planned”.

“We must ramp up production for the entire vaccine value chain, from the ingredients that go into vaccines to the vials and syringes that help us deliver them, without compromising quality,” she underscored, noting that the region has eight national regulatory authorities equipped with the capacity to oversee this work.

“We must also look to the future and embrace the promise of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technologies, which, although novel and more expensive, present possibilities beyond COVID-19 vaccines,” she added.

MRNA vaccines work by inserting synthetic mRNA that instructs cells to make a pathogen’s proteins or protein bits, spurring the immune system into action.

Dr. Etienne said PAHO is working closely with the WHO on its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer, adding that the entity welcomed the interest shown by countries such as Argentina, Chile and Peru, in the thrust to expand the region’s manufacturing capacity.

“We must also lean on our legacy of regional cooperation because it is impractical to think that one country could manufacture vaccines from start to finish just to meet the needs of its own population. The cost is simply too high,” she noted.

“That is why we are engaging with regional organisations, subregional integration mechanisms and others on policy and regulatory issues, research and development, and the investments we need for a coherent regional system that can make increased capacity a reality in the Americas,” the Director added.

Dr. Etienne said PAHO stands ready to help purchase and deliver the requisite products across the region through its Revolving Fund.

She maintained that a regional manufacturing network that builds on countries’ national strengths and is backed by sustained financial commitments is “long overdue”.

“It’s also our best hope for a long-term solution, because COVID-19 will not be the last virus that tests our health systems,” she added.

Dr. Etienne said PAHO remains committed to coordinating with member countries and partners to “advance a vision of greater self-sufficiency in vaccines and medical products manufactured in the Americas”.