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Contact:
John Emmanuel
Monday, April 26, 2004 - Health and Human Services Minister, Honourable
Damian Greaves has come out in strong support of government’s heavy emphasis on
health care for the 2004/05 fiscal year. Minister Greaves, who also has
responsibility for Gender Relations and Family affairs, says such an approach is
warranted, given the increasing economic and social strain brought to bear as a
result of lifestyles and communicable diseases most noticeably, HIV/AIDS.
He said now was the time for the powers that be to critically examine strategies
and programmes directed at prevention and health promotion, as components of a
comprehensive programme of care. That comprehensive programme will in itself
incorporate national, regional and international stakeholders involved in
health.
“We need to partner one ministry to the next,” Minister Greaves said, adding,
“we need to partner with the various agencies in and out of the country. There
is need to form partnerships to get the message across and we need to utilize
every possible and available resource in order to build alliances.”
The 2004/05 fiscal year will see much emphasis being placed on the main
components of the health sector reform initiative namely financing,
institutional strengthening, human resource planning, the development of health
information systems, and establishment of quality improvement systems.
Minister Greaves noted that St. Lucia was well on its way to meeting its
obligations in relation to the implementation of the Millennium Development
Goals as outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO). He informed the
nation, during his contribution to the 2004/05 Budget debate, that the
Millennium Development Goals included eight broad objectives, along with
eighteen specific targets. Seven of the eight objectives he said, fell directly
under his prevue and had begun receiving attention through the Ministry’s
primary health care programmes.
“Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, health has to be placed at the centre of our
nation’s social and economic development. The achievement of Millennium
Development Goals will require sustained increases in the share of public
expenditure in the health sector, which we have already started under this
budget of 2004/05”, explained Minister Greaves.
The eight broad objectives under the W.H.O’s Millennium Development Goals
initiative are, the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of
universal primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of
women; reduction of child mortality; improvement in maternal health; combating
HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability, and
the establishment of a global partnership for development.
He says the heavy emphasis on health care as outlined by Prime Minister,
Honourable Dr. Kenny Anthony for the 2004/05 fiscal year, will go a long way in
ensuring that St. Lucia remains on target, as it seeks to implement the
millennium development goals.
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