Thanks to the technical support of PAHO/WHO, the financial support of USAID, and infrastructure provided by the Honduran government, a new virology laboratory was inaugurated on 24 June 2020 in San Pedro Sula, in the Sanitary Region of Cortés. The laboratory expands the capacity for the region to test for COVID-19 from 600 to 1,200 tests a day. This benefits the entire Honduran population, but mostly people living on the North Coast. PAHO/WHO support will enable 24hrs/day operation of the new facilities, with 20 microbiologists, statisticians and other technical personnel newly recruited. The newly installed equipment worth US$ 140,000 will allow computerized COVID-19 testing.
The PAHO/WHO Representative in Honduras confirms that other laboratories will open soon in La Ceiba and Copàn and highlights the critical importance of alliances between agencies and sectors for an effective handling of the pandemic. Early detection of cases and tracing their contacts are essential for slowing down transmission, as also prioritized by USAID which is mobilizing more funding to expand facilities in La Ceiba, in the south and the east of the country.
Another strand of cooperation and joint USAID – WHO/PAHO support to Honduras focused on delivering a series of webinars at which 800 public employees were trained on the main biosecurity measures for the return to work in the face of the COVID-19 emergency.
The trainings on biosafety measures took place during the first week of June 2020, prior to the phased opening of governmental entities after several months of closure. The objective was to provide basic recommendations on biosecurity measures, which are necessary in the context of the current epidemic. The trainings were for staff working at public institutions’ offices but also in the field, as well as technicians, cleaners and security guards.