Instead of relying solely on individual responses from each country, a LATAM CDC could have leveraged regional resources more effectively, ensuring a quicker and more cohesive response. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has played a fundamental role in promoting public health in the Americas, providing technical expertise, epidemiological surveillance, and disease control strategies. A Latin American CDC (LATAM CDC) could have adopted a more proactive approach: declaring a regional emergency earlier, facilitating the joint purchase of essential supplies, and coordinating cross-border vector control strategies to curb the spread of the disease. Africa CDC and WHO do not compete with each other; rather, the Africa CDC model demonstrates that regional coordination can complement existing institutions rather than replace them.
Latin America, however, still faces challenges in establishing a regional health technical body that can strengthen coordination and rapid responses to public health emergencies. Turning vision into action. Latin American governments must lead the creation of a LATAM CDC, understanding that regional preparedness is key to health security. The question is not whether there will be another health emergency—but when. The region must be prepared.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Latin America lacked an institution capable of coordinating real-time data exchange, mobilizing resources, and executing rapid response strategies to outbreaks across the region. At the same time, health crises such as the resurgence of dengue, mpox (monkeypox), and antibiotic-resistant infections are already testing the region's response capacity. If Latin America does not act now, it risks facing the next pandemic as unprepared as it was in 2020. A LATAM CDC would fill this critical gap, providing a long-awaited framework for collective and coordinated action, ensuring that the region is never again left behind during a crisis.
A LATAM CDC could work alongside PAHO, complementing its efforts by strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring faster and more efficient responses to health emergencies. The new agency would provide the missing link in the regional health security architecture. Beyond the tragic loss of life, the pandemic collapsed health systems, disrupted economies, and widened the gap of inequalities across the region. Four years later, Latin America remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic.
Doctors García and Saavedra will analyze the challenges and benefits of establishing a LATAM-CDC. The discussion takes place today, February 21, at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Atlanta. When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms in the region. Following the Africa CDC and Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) model, the LATAM CDC could: 1. Facilitate real-time data sharing and risk assessment among countries. 2. Support rapid response teams for outbreaks and public health crises. 3. Strengthen local manufacturing capacity for diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. 4. Provide specialized training programs for national public health agencies.
Fundamentally, a LATAM CDC would be an independent technical body, free from political interference, with a governance structure that includes not only governments but also academia, civil society, and the private sector. A window of opportunity—but not for long. The world is witnessing rapid changes in global health governance, with increasing uncertainty about US commitment. However, strengthening regional health security requires additional mechanisms that foster greater collaboration and coordination among countries. Africa CDC collaborates closely with WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, enabling it to act quickly while maintaining partnerships with global health organizations. During COVID-19, it facilitated joint procurement of vaccines and medical supplies, coordinated emergency responses, and strengthened epidemiological surveillance throughout the continent.
This requires backing from governments and at least one implementing entity, making it essential for countries to come together and plan the next steps collaboratively. Since our publication in The Lancet in 2024, interest has grown among public health experts and some policymakers, but a firmer political commitment is needed. In an era where the global health landscape is increasingly uncertain, robust regional mechanisms are not an option, but a necessity. Meanwhile, similar to Africa— which faced limitations—managed to better coordinate its actions through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Africa CDC was established in 2017 in response to the Ebola crisis and quickly became a key institution for regional health security.
