US President Donald Trump announced last week; he would pull out the US from the World Health Organization. Following this announcement from the government, America's division of WHO, on Tuesday, urged the country to consider the impact that could have on Latin America's COVID-19 crisis.

Specifically, PAHO, or the Pan-American Health Organization, is part of WHO that depends on the US for nearly two-thirds of its funding.

According to Dr. Carissa Etienne, PAHO director, support is crucial at present as the pandemic damages a huge part of Latin America and the Caribbean. Relatively, the region has already reported more than one million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and Brazil currently has the fourth-biggest number worldwide, of deaths from the virus.

Urged to Continue Being a Partner

Etienne then urged the US to still continue being PAHO's important partner, even if it pulls out of WHO. According to recent reports, President Trump "accused the WHO of being manipulated by China amid the COVID-19 pandemic."

Additionally, the PAHO director warned too, that Caribbean and Latin American countries, not to loosen the social distancing directives, as well as the pandemic lockdown, too soon.

According to scientists, Latin America has yet to reach its peaks in terms of contagions and deaths, particularly in Brazil where its president, Jair Bolsonaro has dismissed COVID-19 "as a 'hoax'."

Latin America, Reportedly as the Pandemic's Epicenter

During the latter part of May, PAHO announced that Latin America has already surpassed the US and Europe in the daily figures pertaining to confirmed COVID-19 cases. This particular information has put the region then, at the center of the global health crisis.

In a press briefing, Etienne said, there were more than two million COVID-19 cases and more than 140,000 deaths in all of the Americas. She said too, that the region has now become the "epicenter of this pandemic."

Last week, Brazil reported for new cases, the highest number for one week since the onset of pandemic began. Chile and Peru added have reported a high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases too. 

Etienne also warned that for countries in Latin America, it is not yet the right time for relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. This, she elaborated, is the perfect time to "scale back preventive guidelines."

The Region's Worst Hit Nations

As of this writing, Chile has recorded more than 108,000 confirmed cases and over 1,100 deaths from the time the COVID-19 began. Two government leaders of the country reportedly tested positive for the Virus in late-May after they experienced mild symptoms. 

The officials mentioned were Public Works Minister, Alfredo Moreno, and Minister of Energy, Juan Carlos Jobet. Peru, on the other hand, has now recorded over 170,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,600 deaths.

Mexico has a high number of cases and mortalities due to COVID-19, too. As of this writing, the country has more than 93,000 confirmed cases, and deaths have reached more than 10,000 at present.

Notably too, early this week, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or OCHA cautioned that LatAm children are the most vulnerable ones to the virus, because of the weak healthcare system, high levels of unjust treatment, and informal economies.

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