Ministers and health authorities from across the Caribbean are in St. Georges Grenada this week for the Third Global Conference on Health and Climate Change. Convened by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), this year’s conference, which takes place October 16th and 17th, focuses on the small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean, who are at the front line of the increasing health impacts of climate change.
In the words of Dr. Carissa Entienne, PAHO Director, “We saw last year the devastating effects of hurricanes Irma, Maria and Harvey, and many other tropical storms that hit the Caribbean.” “But we also face other challenges, such as floods; droughts; heatwaves; water and food security and safety; undernutrition; massive fisheries and marine biodiversity loss; vector borne diseases; and non-communicable diseases.”
The conference is being attended by 14 Caribbean ministers of health and ministers of the environment. Anguilla is being represented by the Minister of Health, Hon. Evans McNeil Rogers and Permanent Secretary of Health, Mr. Merwyn Rogers.
During the course of the conference, four issues will be discussed: supporting Caribbean health leadership to have their priorities and needs heard; strengthening national technical capacities to understand the impacts of climate change on health in SIDS and to anticipate and prepare for those risks; developing the policies and implementing actions required to build climate-resilient health systems; and facilitating access to climate and health financing mechanisms.
On the first day of the conference, ministers and health authorities approved a plan on health system resilience to ensure that states are prepared and protected in the face of climate change. The Honorable Evans Mc’Neil Rogers also represented Anguilla in a panel discussion on Caribbean perspectives on the Empowerment Component of the SIDS initiative.
Minister Rogers and PS Rogers will remain in Grenada for the annual OECS Health and Pharmaceutical Procurement Service meeting which will take place on Thursday and Friday, October 18th and 19th.
– Press Release
(Published without ediitng by The Anguillian newspaper.)
