These attacks are preventing health workers from doing the life-saving work that is especially vital during the pandemic

COVID-19: It is unacceptable that health workers suffer violence during protests in Colombia

photo_camera PHOTO/ Jeimmy Celemín - Protesters in the streets of Bogotá, Colombia

The head of the Pan American Health Organisation on Thursday expressed her utmost concern about the more than 140 incidents of violence against health workers and ambulances during protests in Colombia over the past three weeks.

Based on data from the Colombian Red Cross and Ministry of Health and the Colombian Civil Defence, Carissa Etienne located most of the attacks in two parts of the country that she did not cite directly, but which she identified as "the focal points of the current demonstrations".

"These attacks are preventing health workers from doing the life-saving work that is especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic," she warned, amid disturbing reports of assaults, threats, attacks on health workers, vandalism and looting of ambulances or other vehicles transporting health workers, medicines and essential health supplies.

During the weekly press conference reviewing the coronavirus pandemic situation, Etienne stressed that "the consequences could not be more dire, as these attacks reduce the availability of already limited medicines, equipment, oxygen and critical supplies at a time when Colombia's hospitals are full of COVID patients and infections are on the rise."

Etienne noted that each of these attacks seriously compromises the health and lives of COVID-19 patients, who urgently need and depend on these medicines and supplies for their recovery, as well as those who have been injured or affected by the protests.

On behalf of the Organisation, he called it "unacceptable" that, after a year of enduring the pandemic and witnessing unbearable suffering and taking on more responsibility than ever before, health workers are suffering violence simply for doing their job.

"This has to stop. These attacks are incompatible with our right to health and jeopardise the integrity, mission and very purpose of health and humanitarian assistance. PAHO calls for the protection of medical campaigns and humanitarian assistance from all types of attacks, whatever their origin or motivation. Each of us has a role to play," he said.

Atalayar_Onu Colombia COVID19
Only 3 per cent of Latin Americans vaccinated

Despite a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections over the past month, more than 1.2 million new COVID cases and 31,000 deaths were still reported in the Americas last week, with three of the five countries in the world with the highest number of new infections located in the Americas.

Intensive care unit occupancy rates remain at 90% in many areas of Brazil and Colombia, indicating that these communities remain at high risk of not receiving the care they need.

On the positive side, he noted that nearly half of US residents have already received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine and nearly 85% of people aged 85 years and older have received both, a circumstance that underscores the vital importance of accelerating access to vaccines throughout the region.

He noted that through the COVAX mechanism, the Organisation has already delivered more than 12 million doses of COVID vaccine in the Americas, with another 770,000 doses on the way for countries in Central America and the Caribbean, and that more than 400 million doses have been administered in the region, most of them in the United States.

"In fact, only three per cent of Latin Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And we still have a long way to go to ensure that everyone is protected. We urgently need more vaccines for Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that has been sorely tested by this pandemic," he reiterated.

Atalayar_Onu Colombia COVID19
COVAX vaccines for Venezuela could arrive in July

Asked about the vaccination situation in Venezuela, Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of Health Emergencies for the Organisation, explained that there is no updated information available on the progress of immunisation, and that, according to the latest available information, more than 316,000 doses had already been injected to priority groups such as health workers, or 79% of the vaccines that arrived in the country.

Regarding pending payments for access to COVAX vaccines, COVAX reported that just over $101 million had already been disbursed, with some $18 million still to be received.

If there are no delays, he predicted that the first vaccines would arrive in the South American country in July and that those "that are available at that time and that the COVAX mechanism has at its disposal and can inform Venezuela" will be supplied, pointing out that the Sinopharm vaccine, recently added to the Organisation's list, could be one of the candidates.

COVAX mechanism

COVAX is part of an unprecedented global effort to provide vaccines for at least 20% of the population in each participating country by 2021 to protect those most at risk of severe forms of COVID-19 and save lives. In the Americas, 36 countries will receive vaccines through the COVAX Mechanism, of which 26 will be self-funded and ten will receive vaccines at no cost.

The Pan American Health Organization's Revolving Fund is the designated COVAX mechanism for procuring vaccines on behalf of countries in the region.

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and works in partnership with UNICEF, the PAHO Revolving Fund, as well as the World Bank, civil society organisations, manufacturers and others.

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