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Healthcare Series Report: After the Pandemic

This publication explores considerations and proposals related to COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness going forward.

This report is the result of four roundtable discussions, hosted by the Council of the Americas, organized around the theme: After the Pandemic: Considerations for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean. There, panelists developed solutions related to COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness going forward. 

Drawing upon these discussions, this report seeks to align private sector initiatives with national public health goals. Inputs from the roundtable participants—who included academics, medical doctors, government officials, and patient voices—are assembled into a high-level panorama that assesses the takeaways from three years of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Regional governments are encouraged to take into consideration the recommendations shared in this report, capture the lessons learned, and ensure better coordination for future pandemic responses. Although it is impossible to predict when the next pandemic will occur, countries must be ready.

 

Major takeaways

Broadly, the roundtable discussions focused on four areas of pandemic response that require improvement:

  • Messaging was and remains central to the continued acceptance by the public of the importance of COVID-19 prevention and treatment, with a special focus on equipping healthcare professionals. 
  • Sufficient healthcare financing in general—and the way COVID-19 vaccines and treatments are financed going forward—is critical if systems are to remain stable and capable of providing necessary treatment.
  • At a domestic and international level, it is important to create and sustain systems for collaboration among governments and institutions so that learnings are shared and information remains accessible. 
  • In the new, post-pandemic era of COVID-19, it will be as important to maintain and expand treatment options for vulnerable populations as it will be to work on prevention of the disease.

Watch the report launch event

AS/COA’s Healthcare Series addresses key challenges and growing opportunities in healthcare across Latin America. The healthcare agenda covers a diverse range of topics including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, medical devices, healthy living and wellness, technology, financing, and insurance. The aim of the Series is to promote public-private cooperation, increase awareness of medical technologies and innovation, encourage regulatory harmonization and collaboration, and share best practices in health financing.

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