Ministry Of Health & PAHO Represented At Global Meeting

The Ministry of Health and Wellness and the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries were represented at a Universal Health Coverage Partnership (UHC-P) Global Meeting in Lyon, France alongside World Health Organization (WHO) Member States and development partners.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, and Martin Seychell, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission.

The main objectives of the meeting were to assess progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), define priority areas for future efforts, and ensure the UHCP effectively contributes to the WHO 14th Global Program of Work (GPW14) targets.  

Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, contributed as a panelist in the Opening Plenary Session, and in the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Universal Health Coverage Day celebration.  

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Walcott reiterated that Barbados recognizes the primary health care (PHC) approach serves as the cornerstone for achieving an equitable and sustainable health system.

He added that Barbados has embarked on a comprehensive agenda to strengthen primary care in alignment with the national goal of delivering accessible, high-quality, and affordable health services for all the nation’s people.

Minister Walcott outlined priority attention to three areas: decentralizing services, bringing them closer to people; investing in digital health solutions to support service delivery and improved health data management; and a robust emphasis on prevention, promotion of healthy lifestyles and early detection through community-based initiatives.

During PAHO’s Universal Health Coverage Day celebration opened by the PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, the Minister highlighted the commitment of the Government of Barbados to Universal Access to health and Universal Health Coverage underlining its value not only to optimizing the health of people but also because it is essential for development and the economy.

He identified several actions taken by the Government including: a National Strategic Plan developed for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2020 – 2025, implementation of the Barbados School Nutrition Policy in April 2023, work towards developing a stronger Health Financing Model, bolstering preparedness for natural disasters and pandemics, and create long-lasting partnerships and a whole-of government approach to health.

He reminded the audience that challenges do exist including increased needs of an aging population, the burden of NCDs, new/expensive technologies, and the need to improve the model of health financing.

During a parallel session titled “Why Climate Resilience and Environmental Health Are Essential for Universal Health Coverage: Lessons in Prevention, Sustainability, and Action”, Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Ingrid Cumberbatch, engaged participants as a presenter and panelist sharing Barbados’ vulnerabilities to climate change and the work the Ministry of Health and Wellness is undertaking to tackle the issue, such as the Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) which is being supported by PAHO/WHO.

Dr. Cumberbatch posited that the aim is to build a climate-resilient health care system.  She cited projects in motion such as vulnerability assessments of the polyclinics guided by the SMART facilities initiative will provide results which can be used to improve resilience and reduce carbon footprint, determine costs and provide a roadmap for the retrofitting of the facilities.  

Pan American Health Organization
Ministry of Health and Wellness

Author: Government Of Barbados 

Publish: December 13, 2024