Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Assistant Director on the Pan American Well being Group (PAHO), was talking in the course of the company’s common media briefing on the pandemic.
He stated almost 44 per cent of the area’s folks have been absolutely immunized, primarily with doses donated bilaterally or by means of the COVAX solidarity initiative.
Lower in new instances, deaths
“Right this moment, twice as many individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean are absolutely vaccinated towards COVID than in August of this 12 months,” he said.
In the meantime, infections and deaths have additionally reached their lowest ranges in additional than a 12 months, with 800,000 new instances and 18,000 deaths reported over the past week.
Though there’s motive to be optimistic, Dr. Barbosa urged nations to stay vigilant and proceed public well being measures, similar to masks sporting, bodily distancing and avoiding massive gatherings.
Extra vaccines on the best way
“Whereas our area has finished a terrific job at accelerating immunization protection over just some months, greater than half of individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean stay unprotected,” he informed journalists.
“In Guatemala, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Haiti, lower than 20 per cent of individuals have been absolutely vaccinated.”
Dr. Barbosa additionally pointed to “excellent news”, as greater than 300 billion vaccine doses are anticipated within the area this week by means of COVAX. Deliveries are additionally set to extend over the remaining months of the 12 months.
Local weather change menace
With the COP26 UN local weather change convention opening this Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Barbosa additionally addressed the hyperlink between planetary and human well being.
He was inspired that well being is “taking centre stage” on the convention, and for the primary time ever.
Local weather change is “the largest long-term menace to our public well being”, he stated, and greater than 12 million deaths yearly are related to environmental threat elements.
Excessive climate and rising temperatures have altered ecosystems, displacing folks and animals. People pressured to maneuver have infringed on pure habitats, and animals have sought extra hospitable situations, which has led to an increase in vector-borne illnesses similar to Zika, Chagas and Dengue.
A part of the answer
Forward of the convention, PAHO has launched an Agenda for the Americas on Well being, Surroundings and Local weather Change, which emphasizes, collaboration, funding and resilience.
However well being should even be a part of the answer to the local weather emergency, he added, because the sector is a big contributor to the greenhouse gasoline emissions that trigger world warming. Estimates point out it may very well be answerable for as much as 10 per cent of carbon emissions worldwide.
“We are able to enhance by decreasing carbon emissions from vitality, heating, and cooling operations of well being care amenities, and we are able to adapt our well being techniques by constructing greener amenities and by decreasing emissions at each stage of our provide chains from manufacturing to transportation,” he stated.
‘Seize the second’
Whereas excessive climate is simply one of many dangers of local weather change, Dr. Barbosa careworn that scientists have lengthy warned of how the surroundings, meals techniques and dwelling situations might be affected, all of which can have doubtlessly devastating impacts on well being.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a snapshot of how unprepared we’re for such a disruptive occasion,” he stated.
“However at present, we’ve a chance to construct on the teachings from the COVID pandemic to stop future crises and to strengthen our capacity to answer them after they arrive. We hope our leaders will seize the second.”
