GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Last week Thursday representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) met with the Council of Ministers.
Sint Maarten was admitted as a new PAHO Associate Member on September 17, 2012, together with Aruba and Curaçao. This category of membership enables the three countries to participate directly in PAHO activities.
The PAHO delegation leader, Dr. Celia Riera, gave a presentation to the Council regarding the PAHO/WHO Technical Cooperation in Sint Maarten and the creation of a Country Cooperation Strategy for Sint Maarten. The Country Cooperation Strategy is a 'strategic agreement framework' that serves as a reference to synchronize the technical cooperation and all the work of PAHO/WHO with and within a country.
The PAHO delegation will work closely with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor and other stakeholders to identify Sint Maarten's health challenges and to establish the Country Cooperation Strategy for Sint Maarten.
Minister Cornelius de Weever stated in his opening address: "Tourism is the fundamental economic activity in Sint Maarten and it will remain being so in the near future.
"However, we have the responsibility to safeguard our economy by focusing on health in general. Health will be able to contribute to the economic and social development as a fundamental investment of the entire society in our future. Health is not an expense; it is an investment for development," Minister Hon. Cornelius de Weever stated.
The PAHO presentation showed how health is connected to all aspects of society and how it can be broken down into three different scopes: a Productive scope, a Health Sector scope and a Governmental scope.
Dr. Reira stated that health should be viewed as "an intrinsic dimension of the economic process: Healthy people are productive people."
The Council of Ministers appreciated meeting with the PAHO delegation. The Council is a proponent for closer cooperation with the region and Sint Maarten's associated membership of PAHO is a good example of closer cooperation.
As a young country it is important to cooperate with others. The Council assured the PAHO delegation that Sint Maarten values the cooperation now and in the future and the Council is grateful of what already has been accomplished with PAHO's assistance.