KINGSTON, Jamaica— Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr Carissa Etienne, is encouraging member countries to dedicate six per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to bolster their health systems.

She has also called on them to prioritise resources for social protection programmes for the most vulnerable people in their societies, as they focus on recovering from the impact of COVID-19.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on July 14, the Director emphasised that this is imperative, against the background of the extent to which COVID-19 “has not just ravaged our health systems… it has fractured social protection programmes and destabilised our economies”.

Etienne said a report released by the Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) last week, “paints a grim picture for our region”.

She said the findings show that more than seven million companies in Latin America and the Caribbean have closed in the wake of the pandemic; more than one-third of citizens across the region are living in poverty; and one in four are concerned about where they will get their next meal.

Against this background, she said bolstering social protection would be crucial, especially in aiding persons to adhere to COVID-19 public health measures “that we know will work”, and rebuild more inclusive equitable societies.

She also voiced concern that several regional countries “are paying the price [for] under-investment in health”, made more apparent since the onset of COVID-19.

 “Now is the time for countries to break this cycle by [dedicating] public expenditure in health of at least six per cent of GDP to health systems and to chart their recovery. As we have said many times, health is a fundamental right [for every individual],” Dr Etienne said.