THE CONFERENCE ZEROED IN ON UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN THE CARIBBEAN AND HEALTH SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENTS.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly affairs hosted the opening ceremony to a three-day Knowledge Exchange Conference at the Finance Administrative Center on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The Knowledge Exchange Conference is intended to improve health systems resilience and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage in the Caribbean.

The historic event is a first collaboration between the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility and the World Bank.

Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Jamaica, Sint Maarten and Belize were all part of the historic gathering of health policy makers. The Caribbean Flagship Regional Knowledge Exchange conference also hosted health policy makers from the Republic of Korea, Colombia, Canada, Spain, Guatemala and the World Bank.

Director of Universal Health Coverage in Saint Lucia, Dr. Alisha Eugene-Ford said the the three-day conference has a number of focuses, one of which is accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

Main speakers for the opening ceremony included Saint Lucia’s Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste. The health minister highlighted financing as one of the common challenges ahead of UHC’s implementation. His hope is that Saint Lucia’s continued efforts, along with the knowledge exchange will assist with UHC’s installation.

The impact on the world’s health sector during the COVID-19 period was reflected during this knowledge exchange event, as it still dwells regularly in health conversations. The Caribbean’s struggles with non-communicable diseases also formed part of the discussion, along with Information and Communication Technology Systems.

The three-day session included site visits to the Anse La Raye Wellness Center and the Owen King Hospital.

The session was funded through a historic partnership between the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility and the World Bank.