CARICOM Urges Caribbean Countries to Prepare for Next Pandemic

CARICOM says the Caribbean needs stronger pandemic preparedness, warning that the region’s porous borders, dependence on tourism and international travel, and limited resources can increase the impact of future health emergencies.

Haiti delivered the statement on behalf of CARICOM on Friday during the high-level United Nations meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, where countries discussed lessons from COVID-19 and efforts to strengthen global preparedness.

CARICOM said the region needs stronger capacity to prevent and detect health threats before they become pandemics. “We need to beef up our capacity for prevention and for early detection of health threats,” Haiti said on behalf of CARICOM.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the world remains far short of the US$15 billion needed each year in international financing to fill the pandemic preparedness gap.

Clark said reliable funding is needed so resources can be activated quickly during an outbreak. “Emergencies should trigger reliable pre-announced funding, not scramble for dollars,” she said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the world was not prepared for a major health crisis. He said the next pandemic is a matter of “when, not if” and urged countries to complete negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement.