Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand in Latin America, following patterns seen in other parts of the world.

Brazil, the largest and most populous country in the region, reports the highest number of confirmed cases and fatalities, followed by Peru, Chile and Ecuador.

Most countries in the region have weak and fragmented health systems, which do not guarantee the universal access needed to address the COVID-19 health crisis.

Generally, health systems are organized through public-sector services for people with low income, social security services for formal workers and private-sector services for those who can afford them. Health systems remain segregated and unequal, resulting in different services of varying quality to different population groups.

Although reform is underway to reduce fragmentation and expand access, health systems are still inadequate.

Over the last several weeks, an increased impact on the health of personnel on the frontlines has been noted, due to their heightened level of exposure and lack of adequate personal protection equipment (PPE).

Additionally, over the last several weeks, governments in the region have taken measures to scale up the capacities of their health systems to respond to COVID-19.

As the epidemic continues to grow and is expected to reach its peak in May and June 2020, preventive social isolation measures and nation-wide lockdowns continue in the vast majority of countries, exacerbating existing inequalities and affecting the most vulnerable population groups. Refugees and migrants from Venezuela in host and transit countries are especially affected.

Read more:

Latin America and the Caribbean Region COVID-19 Situation Report No. 2 - Argentina - ReliefWeb