Learning from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparing policy responses in Uruguay with 10 other Latin American and Caribbean countries
Date of Publication
3-1-2023 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Health
Keywords
Health Security, COVID-19, Policy review, Latin America & the Caribbean, pandemic response
Description
In response to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a variety of public health and social actions have been implemented. Nevertheless, there have been disparities in the region's pandemic responses, especially throughout the first six months of the pandemic, when Uruguay effectively curbed transmission. This research discusses aspects of pandemic responses that may have helped Uruguay outperform the other 10 LAC nations in its early years, including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. By forgoing strong border closures and movement restrictions and swiftly implementing a number of economic and social measures, Uruguay distinguished itself from the other studied countries' early response attempts.The research shows how crucial it is to encourage adherence to public health interventions by putting strong social and economic safety nets in place to make compliance with them
Learning from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparing policy responses in Uruguay with 10 other Latin American and Caribbean countries
In response to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a variety of public health and social actions have been implemented. Nevertheless, there have been disparities in the region's pandemic responses, especially throughout the first six months of the pandemic, when Uruguay effectively curbed transmission. This research discusses aspects of pandemic responses that may have helped Uruguay outperform the other 10 LAC nations in its early years, including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. By forgoing strong border closures and movement restrictions and swiftly implementing a number of economic and social measures, Uruguay distinguished itself from the other studied countries' early response attempts.The research shows how crucial it is to encourage adherence to public health interventions by putting strong social and economic safety nets in place to make compliance with them
