Chile, Uruguay to cooperate on dealing with cancer, obesity, Covid
Montevideo, Sep 27 (EFE).- Cancer, obesity and Covid-19 are some of the health matters included in the memorandum of understanding signed Monday by the health ministers of Chile and Uruguay, Enrique Paris and Daniel Salinas, respectively, during the visit of Chilean President Sebastian Piñera, to Montevideo.
According to the text of the agreement, which was shared with the press after the signing, it comes as a result of the “mutual interest in strengthening the links of cooperation” between the two countries, which are “aware that international cooperation is one of the tools of states” contributing to the search for solutions to common problems.
Organ donation, vaccine administration management, obesity and healthy lifestyles, mental health, cancer, environmental health and toxicology, healthy aging, education for healthcare teams and Covid-19 are among the issues mentioned in the text as areas for cooperation between the two nations.
Paris emphasized that Uruguay “is a pioneer in Latin America in toxicology,” acknowledging the “world standard” established by the country in its management of the pandemic and, specifically, he called Montevideo handling of its vaccination plan “extraordinarily good.”
For his part, Salinas said that the new document, which will be in force for three years with the option of renewing it if both parties agree to do so, is intended “to open a new road, new ways for the two countries to (work more closely), cooperate and develop.”
The agreement was signed at the Public Health Ministry in Montevideo and was the first item on the agenda of the Chilean delegation headed by Piñera in the Uruguayan capital.
The Chilean president arrived late Sunday night in Montevideo from Cartagena, Colombia, the starting point for his tour of several regional countries that will wrap up on Tuesday in Paraguay.
Meanwhile, the plant that the Chinese Sinovac pharmaceutical company will establish in Santiago “will export (anti-Covid) vaccine to all of Latin America, Paris said on Monday.
“I think that the plant will not only serve Chile but that we will export vaccine to all of Latin America, and I think that it’s an important step. I think that we can all cooperate on it,” he said in remarks to the press after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between his country and Uruguay.
Paris said that the Chinese firm will set up the plant only to fill – not to manufacture – vials with the vaccine along with a research institute in Antofagasta, Chile, which will contribute to the fight against Covid-19 in the region.
EFE scr-rmp/cmm/rrt/bp
