Members of the OECS Health Unit.
ANGUILLA--Health ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) met virtually on Wednesday, November 24, under the chairmanship of Premier Ellis Lorenzo Webster. The theme for the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Health was “Health System Strengthening and Laboratory Advocacy during the COVID-19
pandemic”.
In his welcome address the chairman referenced the adage “health is wealth” and emphasised the importance of providing necessary resources for health system strengthening. The Council acknowledged and supported the OECS Health Programme and its donor-funded projects and pledged to increase human resources to deliver the programme. Members also acknowledged the contribution and strategic partnership of Caribbean Public Health Agency CARPHA, the OECS Commission’s Health Unit and the pooled procurement service.
Some of the discussions were on vaccine equity in the region and the need to improve this. Anguilla was recognised as the country in the subregion with the highest vaccination rate of 60 per cent of the population. Abraham Weekes, Senior Technical Specialist responsible for quality assurance at the OECS, gave a briefing on the integral nature of pooled procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies. The Council endorsed the recommendation for health system strengthening and laboratory advocacy by the ministers of health.
OECS Member States attending included Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, Martinique, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Also in attendance were CARPHA, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Med Labs Foundation.
