The initiative is expected to benefit 2.4 million people in seven South American countries, including Brazil; the investment amounts to approximately 17 million dollars
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Bank announced earlier this month the launch of PROTEGGI Projectan initiative that aims to optimize disease surveillance systems and research and analysis laboratories in seven South American countries, including Brazil. The goal is strengthen these countries’ response to pandemicsespecially in the region of Amazon Basin.
The location of the action was chosen because it hosts about half of the terrestrial biodiversity and because it is susceptible to the effects of climate changes and human interference. The existence of disease vectors in the tropical and subtropical region, combined with the level of isolation of some areas, makes the communities living there more vulnerable to the risks of pandemics.
According to a statement by PAHOThe project is expected to benefit more than 2.4 million people over the next three years, including indigenous, non-indigenous and riverine populations, migrants and displaced people.
To achieve this, the project has a grant of almost 17 million US dollars (R$ 92.2 million) from Pandemic Funda dedicated financing mechanism to provide multi-year grants to help low- and middle-income countries better prepare for future pandemics.
Action fronts
The beneficiary countries of the project are, in addition to Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay. In addition to PAHO and the World Bank, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture of the seven countries and the Pan-American Center for Foot and Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health of PAHO are also involved in the PROTECT project.
“We celebrate this joint collaboration. There is an urgent need for political commitment from governments and better coordination across sectors to save lives together,” Jaime Saavedra, director of human development for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank, said in a statement.
The PROTECT project will prioritise three fronts of action:
? Improving integrated early surveillance systems for zoonotic diseases: To this end, it intends to develop guidelines based on the characteristics of the communities. In addition, the front also plans to develop national and regional maps for early diagnosis and surveillance of zoonotic diseases of wild fauna.
? Improving the ability of laboratory systems to detect potentially causal pathogens epidemic diseases: To this end, the project seeks to modernize and increase the capacity of equipment, reagents and other materials needed for genomic sequencing, bioinformatics and virus analysis.
? Train your workforce to assess risks: This includes community leaders, local health workers and others interested in surveillance. Strengthening interoperable platforms to facilitate the exchange of specific information will also be a priority in this area.
With this, PAHO also hopes to strengthen coordination and information exchange across sectors, countries and the region for pandemic preparedness and response efforts.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
