November 19, 2024
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been challenged by its stakeholders and Caribbean member states representatives to ensure that its new Caribbean Subregional Cooperation Strategy (SCS) 2025-2029 is responsive and practical and, when implemented, impactful.
During the opening of a multisectoral stakeholder consultation hosted at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana, Minister of Health, the Honourable Frank Anthony, stressed the need for partnership to tackle priority areas, including noncommunicable diseases and mental health, pandemic preparedness and health security, human resources for health, health equity and accessibility and environmental health.
“The collaboration between PAHO and CARICOM represents a union of expertise, resources, and shared commitment. PAHO, with its extensive technical knowledge, global health connections, and experience in regional health initiatives, supports CARICOM’s vision of a healthy and resilient Caribbean. In working together, PAHO and CARICOM can design health strategies deeply rooted in the Caribbean context – strategies that consider our unique cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental realities,” Minster Anthony noted. He suggested that the pathways to sustainable partnership were data-driven decision-making, capacity building and workforce development, community engagement and public awareness and innovation and technology integration.
Highlights of the Minister’s speech are below:
PAHO was commended by Assistant Secretary General, Directorate of Human and Social Development, Elizabeth Solomon, for its role as a development partner across Member States and its alignment with CARICOM’s Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH) Framework, the regional architecture for improving health outcomes and strengthening health systems across CARICOM Member States. “In this context, CARICOM anticipates the value that this new iteration of the PAHO Subregional Cooperation Strategy will add to pertinent and impactful public health initiatives to advance the well-being of the Region,” ASG Solomon underlined.
Listen to key takeaways from the ASG’s remarks below:
Acting Director of the Caribbean Subregional Program Coordination office, Dr Juan Manuel Sotelo pointed out that once this medium-term planning tool is completed and approved, it will guide PAHO activities, outputs, budget and efforts. This was echoed by Head of Country and Subregional Coordination, Piedad Huerta, PAHO/WHO who outlined that the SCS will allow for assessing internal technical, managerial and administrative capabilities to ensure that the organisation delivers impactful health initiatives across the Caribbean.
The previous SCS expired in 2019. Considering the evolving health landscape and emerging challenges, the PAHO Director, has requested that a new SCS is developed to guide PAHO’s technical cooperation in the Caribbean.