WASHINGTON, CMC -St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has held talks with the Director of the Pan American Well being Group (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbisa da Silva, on the pressing must fortify public well being programs throughout Small Island Growing States (SIDS).
The bilateral assembly was held on the sidelines of the 61st PAHO Directing Council assembly that started on the PAHO Headquarters right here on Monday, and it additionally highlighted the matter of gun violence, which Prime Minister Dr. Drew deemed a extreme public well being disaster.
He recalled the assertion of the US Surgeon Common concerning violence, noting that St. Kitts-Nevis, together with different Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) international locations, can be taking a look at crime and violence from a public well being perspective.
He stated that CARICOM will put this problem on its agenda and search PAHO’s help shifting it ahead.
The discussions additionally underscored the vital challenges going through SIDS, resembling climate-related well being impacts, the burden of non-communicable ailments (NCDs), and the necessity for improved healthcare infrastructure and entry to high quality providers.
“Well being is on the core of our nation’s improvement. Strengthening our well being programs ensures our residents’ well-being and enhances our capability to answer crises, notably as we face the rising threats posed by local weather change,” stated Prime Minister Drew.
He additionally highlighted the Twin Island Federation’s efforts to enhance healthcare supply by way of digital well being initiatives, constructing an progressive hospital, expanded healthcare coaching, and partnerships to enhance illness prevention and management. He burdened the significance of ongoing collaboration with PAHO in addressing well being inequalities and getting ready the nation for rising well being threats.
For his half, the PAHO director reaffirmed PAHO’s dedication to supporting the federal government’s well being agenda, noting that PAHO would proceed to supply technical help in pandemic preparedness, common well being protection, and combating the rising prevalence of NCDs.
An announcement issued following the assembly stated it marked a big step in deepening the connection between St. Kitts-Nevis and PAHO, with each events agreeing on continued cooperation to advance the nation’s well being and wellness agenda.
In the meantime, St. Kitts-Nevis has been chosen to serve on the PAHO’s Common Committee of the 61st Directing Council, which performs a key function in overseeing the procedures and construction of PAHO’s annual conferences. This committee influences discussions that drive well being coverage choices throughout the Americas.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ inclusion underscores its growing presence in regional and world well being governance, particularly within the face of challenges resembling infectious ailments, local weather change, and well being fairness.
“This appointment to the Common Committee marks a big milestone for St. Kitts and Nevis as we proceed strengthening our function in world well being governance. It’s a testomony to our rising capability to affect essential well being insurance policies that may profit our folks and the broader Caribbean and the Americas,” stated Prime Minister Drew.
“We’re dedicated to making sure that small island creating states like ours have a voice in shaping the way forward for healthcare, notably in areas like public well being preparedness and local weather resilience,” he added.
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