PORT OF SPAIN – The World Bank has provided more than 40 million US dollars under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Regional Health Project, to improve health facilities and laboratory capacities, strengthen public health systems and emergency management, institutional capacity building, project management and coordination, and contingency emergency response.

Project beneficiaries include Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission. 

Small Island Developing States within the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable to threats posed by climate change – from rising sea levels, hurricanes and floods, to increased temperatures and intensity of changing weather patterns. The project provides support to these OECS states to protect themselves from the devastating impact of disasters, pandemics and emergencies.

Mr. Timothy Johnston, Human Development Programme Leader, World Bank, acknowledged that “under the OECS Regional Health Project, all six entities are making valuable investments and strengthening their health systems, particularly in the areas of surveillance, laboratories, work force development and emergency management”.

Benefit

For the duration of the meeting, participants were able to benefit from project updates, knowledge exchange and training in Financial Management Safeguards, led by Ms. Behnaz Bonyadian, Co -Task Team Leader and the members of the World Bank Team. 

Representatives from the World Bank, the OECS Commission and participating countries were also given an opportunity to tour the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory to view the equipment that was procured under the project.