WHO

On September 25, the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, delivered the latest technological progress made against COVID-19 by the country to the WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool ((C-TAP). The main contributions made by the Costa Rican government serve as a platform to identify coronavirus protease inhibitors as well as a protocol for the manufacture of injectable substances. These technologies are already available to the international community.

 “Our country is committed to making the most of our collective efforts to share the benefits of scientific advances in the fight against COVID-19,” said Alvarado. Other inputs and technologies sent to the C-TAP include prototype respirators, N95 masks and pneumatic mechanical fans. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom thanked Costa Rica for its collaboration and affirmed that “to exit the pandemic, we must share knowledge.”

The C-TAP brings together voluntary contributions from governments, companies and civil society in the field of COVID-19 patents and technologies to universalize access and combat the pandemic.  So far, 40 countries have joined the technology pool, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador.