… expressed disappointment with the criterion used to select countries
Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in endorsing the COVAX Facility, said the initiative will pave the way for Member States to have the best opportunity to fast-track access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the primary role of the COVAX Facility is to maximise the chances of people in participating countries getting access to COVID-19 vaccines as quickly, fairly and safely as possible. The Facility allows access to the world’s largest and most diverse portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines.
The COVAX Facility received the full support of the Caribbean Region during the 41st Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, held virtually on Thursday.
In a statement on Friday, the CARICOM Secretariat said the Regional Leaders welcomed the fact that six CARICOM Member States have been identified for Advance Market Commitment – a financing instrument to support the procurement of vaccines for low and middle-income economies. It was noted that the remaining Member States have committed to the COVAX Facility as self-financing countries, however, the Heads of Government were concerned at the limited criteria used to determine how countries accessed financing.
“The Heads of Government expressed deep concern that despite being in the midst of a global pandemic, the per capita income criterion was still being used to determine how countries accessed financing from the COVAX Facility,” the Secretariat further stated.
Nonetheless, the Heads of Government expressed appreciation to the European Union, CARPHA and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) for their support in facilitating the down payment for self-financing Member States.
They mandated Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to explore, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat and PAHO, other financing options to cover additional costs for the vaccines.
Further, the Regional Leaders mandated CARPHA and the Chief Medical Officers of Member States to meet to refine the common technical standards for the CARICOM Travel Bubble and the entry of external arrivals, and report to the Secretariat within 48 hours.
Access to COVID-19 vaccines aside, the Heads of Government while acknowledging the fact that the global pandemic has stymied economic activities across the Region, said they underscored the need to strike a balance as countries move to open up commercial zones.
“The Heads of Government also recognised that in the absence of a vaccine, COVID-19 will continue to be a grave public health, security and economic threat, and the regional approach must continue to be undertaken to manage these ongoing threats. In that regard, they further recognised that re-opening and recovery require a careful balance between reducing restrictive measures and ensuring adequate actions to reduce importation and spread of new cases,” the Secretariat reported.
Notwithstanding the multi-faceted challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Regional Leaders are satisfied with the Community’s relative success in its fight to reduce the spread of the disease.
The pandemic has severely affected the health, tourism, education, security and law enforcement sectors, shutting down schools and industries in the process.
With the virus still spreading rapidly in some parts of the Community, such as Guyana, the Leaders said it is critical for there to be continued vigilance and adherence to the regional public health approach being led by CARPHA.
They also used the opportunity to commended CARPHA for its on-going leadership and technical support to Member States in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gratitude was also expressed to the International Development Partners for the assistance offered thus far.
The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, chaired the high-level regional conference.
Other Members of the Conference in attendance were: Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne; Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Dr. Hubert Minnis; Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C, MP; Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit; Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell; President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali; President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise; Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness; Premier of Montserrat, Easton Taylor-Farrell; Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris; Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Allen Chastanet; the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi; and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley.
Belize was represented by Attorney General, Honourable Michael Peyrefitte.
Associate Members in attendance were: Bermuda represented by Premier, David Burt; the British Virgin Islands represented by Premier, Andrew Fahie; and the Turks and Caicos Islands, represented by Premier, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson.
