PAHO's director visits St. Lucia
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Contact: Claudia Monlouis
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 – The first woman to ever head the world's oldest health institution, the Pan American Health Organisation PAHO, concluded a three-day tour of the Eastern Caribbean Wednesday, having visited Saint Lucia, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, who was in St. Lucia on Monday, met with Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy, Prime Minister Hon. Stephenson King, Minister for Health Hon. Keith Mondesir and other top level health officials.
She said the face-to-face interaction was very enriching in her understanding of each island's peculiar needs.
“It was important to understand what avenues, directions and orientations are needed for the country; the role of health in the development of the individual countries, so that we can adjust our technical support.” she said in a GIS interview.
Dr. Perigo also gave her impressions of the Government of Saint Lucia’s vision and national plan for health development.
“I think that what I get is the fact that they really are aware that health is the wealth of their country; that it is not only for individual citizens, families and communities but also for the sustainable development of their country. It's a major contributor, but at the same time it requires a lot of resources. It is important to determine how you can link investments in the health sector with the economic development of the country,” she said. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), now marking its 100th anniversary, has responded to changing political times and different health challenges. It has played a significant role in some of the recent achievements in health within the Americas. Some of the more remarkable health gains of the past eight years, it is said, owe their success to the broad principles of equity and Pan-Americanism that guide PAHO's work. |
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