The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the Pan American Health Organization have expanded their partnership through new cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening regulatory systems and vaccine safety across Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative focuses on improving access to safe, effective vaccines, particularly during public health emergencies.
The collaboration will support more efficient and aligned regulatory pathways, enabling countries to accelerate the evaluation and approval of vaccines during outbreaks while maintaining strict safety standards and oversight. Key activities include promoting regulatory convergence, enhancing reliance-based approaches, strengthening workforce training, and improving coordination among national regulatory authorities to enable faster, more consistent decision-making.
Alongside regulatory improvements, the partnership will enhance pharmacovigilance systems to better monitor vaccine safety. By strengthening signal detection, benefit-risk assessment, and evidence-based policymaking, these efforts aim to build public trust and ensure vaccines can be deployed safely and effectively during crises.
To support these efforts, CEPI will provide up to $1 million over 12 months for regulatory capacity strengthening and up to $3 million over 24 months to advance pharmacovigilance programmes. These agreements build on a broader five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024 and reflect ongoing collaboration to prepare the region for future health emergencies and new vaccine development.
Richard Hatchett emphasized that strong regulatory and safety systems are critical to ensuring rapid and equitable vaccine access during outbreaks. He noted that the partnership will help countries develop, assess, and deploy vaccines quickly while maintaining safety standards.
Jarbas Barbosa highlighted lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing the importance of robust regulatory frameworks and regional manufacturing capacity. He stated that the partnership will strengthen the ability of countries to respond collectively and effectively to future health emergencies.
The new agreements also build on previous collaboration, including a 2025 initiative supporting the development of AI-enabled clinical intelligence platforms and strengthening clinical trial capacity. Both organizations are also engaged in the Global South Leaders in Epidemic Analytics and Response Network (GS LEARN), which promotes locally led, data-driven decision-making for outbreak preparedness.
This expanded partnership aligns with PAHO’s 2026–2031 strategic plan and supports CEPI’s “100 Days Mission,” an initiative aimed at developing safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying a pandemic threat. Together, these efforts aim to enhance regional health security and ensure faster, safer responses to future epidemics and pandemics.
