The European Union and Latin America strengthen the safety of cross-border health

The European project EUROFRONT has made donations of medical supplies at four land borders in Latin America to reinforce the healthcare capacities and protection of its public agents. The donations were made at the border posts of the Triple Border (Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina), Aguas Blancas (Argentina and Bolivia), Desaguadero (Bolivia, Peru) and Rumichaca-Ipales (Colombia, Ecuador).

The initiative seeks to provide a response for the project’s partner countries to the current health crisis caused by the worldwide spread of COVID19, which has forced states to take urgent and exceptional containment measures aimed at protecting public health. These include, among others, mobility limitations within the territory, border reinforcement actions and border crossing restrictions.

Semi-rigid tents have been erected to provide spaces for the treatment and isolation of people with symptoms that allow compliance with the specific protocol of referral to the nearest hospital. In addition, infra-red thermometers have been donated to check temperatures as well as health protection equipment to strengthen capacities of healthcare, customs and immigration control personnel, such as biosecurity suits, hydroalcoholic gel, gloves and facemasks. All of this will help prevent the spread of the coronavirus by improving border management in the new health context.

During the hand-over of the material destined for the Triple Border in Foz de Iguazú, Natália Maciel, the coordinator of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) project said: “We hope, with this donation, to contribute to the protection of employees who work at border and health control points in Foz de Iguazú so that they can continue to carry out their activities safely. This is a health crisis, but it also has a strong impact on people’s mobility”.

For his part, the ambassador for the European Union in Brazil, Ignacio Ybáñez, stated: “Cooperation in public safety and the fight against organised crime is an essential area of cooperation between the European Union and Brazil. At a time when all countries are facing the challenges posed by a pandemic, it has been necessary to adapt to this exceptional situation”.

EUROFRONT, funded by the European Union and implemented by the IOM, the Italian-Latin American International Organisation (IILA) and FIIAPP is a cooperation project, which was launched this year with the aim of improving safety, the protection of human rights and social and economic development in Latin America by increasing the efficiency of operations at four border crossings, as well as supporting the fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.