The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the Pan American Health Organization have strengthened their collaboration through a series of new cooperation agreements aimed at improving vaccine regulation and safety monitoring across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The expanded partnership is designed to help countries respond more effectively to public health emergencies by accelerating vaccine approval processes while maintaining strict safety standards. By promoting more aligned and agile regulatory pathways, the initiative will enable faster evaluation and authorization of vaccines during outbreaks.

Key efforts under the agreement include enhancing coordination among national regulatory authorities, adopting reliance-based regulatory approaches, and addressing workforce training gaps. These measures are expected to support quicker, more coordinated decision-making across the region.

Alongside regulatory improvements, the partnership places strong emphasis on pharmacovigilance—the systems used to monitor vaccine safety after deployment. Strengthened surveillance will improve the detection of potential safety signals, support benefit-risk assessments, and guide evidence-based policymaking, ultimately boosting public confidence in vaccines.

Under the agreement, CEPI will invest up to $1 million over 12 months to strengthen regulatory capacity, along with an additional $3 million over two years to expand pharmacovigilance systems. These efforts build on a broader five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024, marking continued progress in regional preparedness for future health emergencies.

Richard Hatchett, Chief Executive Officer of CEPI, подчеркнул the importance of robust systems, stating that strong regulatory and pharmacovigilance frameworks are critical for ensuring rapid and equitable vaccine access during outbreaks. He noted that the partnership will help countries develop, assess, and safely deliver vaccines at speed when they are most needed.

Echoing this sentiment, Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO, said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for stronger regulatory frameworks and local manufacturing capacity. He added that the collaboration will help countries act more quickly and equitably in response to future health crises.

The new agreements build on ongoing cooperation between the two organizations. In November 2025, CEPI and PAHO signed a separate $458,000 agreement to support the development of AI-enabled clinical intelligence platforms and strengthen clinical trial capacity.

Both organizations are also key contributors to the Global South Leaders in Epidemic Analytics and Response Network, a multi-regional initiative aimed at strengthening epidemic intelligence and leadership across Global South institutions, enabling more locally driven and data-informed responses to outbreaks.

The partnership aligns with PAHO’s 2026–2031 strategic plan and supports CEPI’s ambitious 100 Days Mission, which seeks to accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat.

Health experts say the strengthened collaboration marks a significant step toward improving regional health security, ensuring that countries are better prepared to respond swiftly and safely to future epidemics.