PAHO and CEPI Expand Partnership to Bolster Vaccine Safety and Regulatory Frameworks in the Americas Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
CEPI and PAHO Scale Up Collaboration to Accelerate Vaccine Access and Safety in the Americas
In a strategic move to enhance pandemic readiness, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced on April 14, 2026, an expansion of their partnership. The collaboration aims to strengthen pharmacovigilance programs and regulatory systems across the Caribbean and Latin America, ensuring that vaccines can be deployed more safely, equitably, and rapidly during public health emergencies.
To drive these improvements, CEPI has committed significant financial support. The organization will provide up to $1 million over the next 12 months to bolster regulatory capacity and up to $3 million over a 24-month period to enhance pharmacovigilance strategies. These investments are designed to create a more resilient health infrastructure capable of responding to emerging infectious disease threats.
A primary focus of the agreement is the development of more agile and aligned regulatory pathways. By establishing reliance-based regulatory actions and fostering convergence, member countries will be better equipped to expedite the evaluation and approval of vaccines during active outbreaks. The initiative also prioritizes workforce training and increased coordination among national regulatory authorities to streamline decision-making processes.
Parallel to regulatory updates, the partnership will prioritize the strengthening of pharmacovigilance systems. By improving evidence-based policy-making, benefit-risk assessments, and signal detection, the region aims to enhance its ability to monitor vaccine safety in real-time. Such improvements are critical for maintaining public trust and ensuring the seamless distribution of vaccines during crises.
This expanded effort is closely aligned with PAHO’s 2026-2031 strategic plan and CEPI’s “100 Days Mission,” which seeks to accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines to within 100 days of detecting a pandemic threat. Strengthening these systems now could significantly reduce the time between vaccine development and regional administration in future emergencies.
The current agreements build upon a broader five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024. This framework follows previous cooperation established in 2023 and earlier efforts to improve regulatory harmonization through the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization (PANDRH). Since its founding in 1999, PANDRH has worked to reduce regional disparities and implement common regulatory proposals for health technologies.
Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, emphasized the necessity of this infrastructure, stating, “Strong regulatory and pharmacovigilance systems are essential to enabling rapid and equitable access to vaccines during outbreaks.”
PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa has previously highlighted that effective regulatory systems are not only vital for ensuring access to quality medical products during emergencies but are also essential for fostering regional production and innovation.
