By ECLAC

On 26 March 2020, the Government of Mexico convened a virtual ministerial meeting on health affairs for response and follow-up to the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was attended by foreign ministers and health representatives from 30 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), as well as regional organizations.

As a result of the meeting, CELAC formed a strategic alliance with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to complement the regional strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In response to the request made by CELAC, on 3 April ECLAC launched the COVID-19 Observatory in Latin America and the Caribbean: Economic and Social Impact, to continue providing support to track the spread of the virus in the medium and long terms, as well as the policy measures that countries are adopting to contain the pandemic and reduce its economic and social impacts.

As a regional public good, the Observatory generates and disseminates information to support evidence-based decision-making by governments, businesses, academic institutions and civil society organizations in the 33 countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region.

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