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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris
Friday, April 04, 2003 – As Saint Lucia joins the rest of the world in
observing World Health Day on April 07, 2003, under the theme “Healthy
Environment for Children,” Minister for Health, Human Services and Family
Affairs, Honourable Damian Greaves believes that creating a healthy environment
for children is the responsibility of every sector of society. In an address to
mark the occasion, Mr. Greaves explained that as a country “we must find the
courage to work together, drawing on the resources of each agency to accomplish
our collective goals. Our success however will not be limited to our ability to
address each risk separately. If we act together we will be providing solutions
to the many health issues and environmental concerns that impact negatively on
our children. Together we can shape the future of life for our children.”
Minister Greaves lamented though that children in the Saint Lucian society are
today confronted with a myriad of problems and challenges ranging from
lawlessness to stringent parental guidance; crimes and incidents of
non-acceptable deviant behaviour, pressures to adhere to social and moral
values; and media influences to cultural differentiation.
Government, Minister Greaves added is seeking to continue to implement
programmes that will ensure that the young are protected from the scourge of
environmental degradation. This year having being declared as the “Year of The
Child” will see a programme of activities which will take some of these
environmental issues into account.
The Ministry of Health, Human Services and Family Affairs is spearheading the
first part of a process to guarantee the growth and development of healthy
children born to the Saint Lucian society. “As a matter of policy we vigorously
pursue our goals through the provision of services at the primary health care
level to encourage every pregnant woman to benefit from prenatal care as early
as the first trimester of her pregnancy. Postnatal care and child health clinics
are regular features of the health system.”
According to the Health Minister these clinics are designed to monitor the
development of infants and to provide them with the necessary vaccines that will
protect them from infectious diseases such as polio and rubella. Just recently,
the Minister Greaves noted, his Ministry through the AIDS Unit resumed the
provision of antiretroviral drugs, free of charge, to HIV positive women in an
effort to protect the unborn child from contracting HIV. Currently, we are
reviewing the Public Health Legislation and pretty soon our laws will provide
for the changes that are required in accordance with the demands of modern
society as it is also intended to address a variety of minimum standards. Some
of these standards will reflect new stipulations; for example, protection of our
children with respect to smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke,” Minister
Greaves ended.
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