Mr. Speaker I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate The Rt. Excellent Theresa May on her appointment as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Territories and likewise The Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson as the new Foreign Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Baroness Anelay as the Minister with responsibility for the Overseas Territories.
Mr. Speaker as Premier I had the pleasure of hosting the Premiers of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Montserrat; the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the elected representative of the Falkland Islands and the Minister for Social Development of Anguilla, for a Pre-JMC Meeting last week in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our discussions were wide ranging and fruitful and we reached consensus on our priority issues to be discussed at the Joint Ministerial Council Meeting at the end of October this year.
Mr. Speaker one of the main items on the Pre-JMC agenda was that of the Challenges and opportunities for the Overseas Territories following the UK’s referendum result to leave the EU. We have agreed that we would engage collectively with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis MP and the Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr. Liam Fox MP and the Constitutional Group in the Cabinet Office and Leaders would also schedule bilaterally meetings with the relevant Secretaries of State.
Mr. Speaker the Leaders also discussed the various infrastructural and development needs of their respective territories under the umbrella of Sustainable Economic Development. We discussed how HMG can assist the Overseas Territories in attracting investment for infrastructure development, such as airports and seaports.
Mr. Speaker the various health challenges that exist in our territories were discussed especially in relation to access to the UK NHS for tertiary level care, mental health, procurement of drugs and medicine and the Zika epidemic that is plaguing our region and ways in which HMG can support the territories.
Mr. Speaker all of the Leaders felt that given the circumstances following Brexit, now is an appropriate time to re visit the Overseas Territories White Paper 2012 and our future partnership, and in that vein among some Territories there is a wish to undertake a Constitutional Review.
Mr. Speaker given the importance of child welfare to all territories, the Leaders of the Overseas Territories present at the Pre JMC agreed to seek approval from their Governments to sign, at the JMC, the Memorandum of Understanding and Roadmap, for the purpose of more effective safeguarding of children, as proposed by the Falkland Islands. This Memorandum clearly demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards and systems for the protection of our children. Mr. Speaker, this memorandum of understanding will be presented to our Cabinet next week for positive consideration so that the TCI can be among those territories signing the MOU in October.
Mr. Speaker these issues among others would be the subject of discussion when the OT leaders meet in London in October at the JMC with the new UK Ministers.
Mr. Speaker and fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders, as stated in the Ministry of Health Press Release on Saturday and my press statement yesterday, on July 24th my Public Health Staff in the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services reported 5 confirmed cases of Zika virus infections in the Turks and Cases Islands, three of which are clearly imported and two of which are currently undergoing further investigations to determine whether they are also imported or part of local transmissions. The Ministry of Health is working with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), PAHO and UK IHR on the investigation of these cases.
The Environmental Health Department and Public Health Disease Surveillance Team of the Ministry of Health has stepped up its surveillance activities and has been working with the persons infected with the Zika virus to ensure that the risk of in-country transmission is reduced.
Mr. Speaker, while we all know that this event was inevitable I am urging all residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands and visitors to these islands to remain calm. We are focusing our efforts on reducing the possibility of or the impact of in-country transmission of the virus.
The most significant health impact is related to the microcephalic birth defect and the neurological Guillain Barre’ syndrome that is sometimes associated with the infection. Mr. Speaker, this is why the Ministry of Health and IHC has from the onset of the regional epidemic been encouraging pregnant mothers to take the necessary precautions such as use of mosquito nets (which are being provided by the health department), use of mosquito repellents, wearing of long sleeve shirts and minimizing exposed body areas as ways to reduce mosquito bites, and also encouraging persons to help reduce the mosquito population in and around their homes by cleaning up their yards and removing all catchment containers and derelict vehicles that can hold water as methods of reducing mosquito breeding.
Mr. Speaker the infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito is the only one that bites and can transmit the zika virus and others such as the dengue virus, yellow fever and Chikungunya fever and it does so nocturnally. Mr. Speaker it is with this knowledge in mind that much debate is now ongoing about the introduction of genetically modified Ades Aegypti mosquito as a means to control these diseases. Mr. Speaker this may be a viable option for the TCI as other OTs are also considering such methods, but until such time that these methods are approved the Environmental Health Department will continue its fogging activities where necessary and country-wide cleanup campaigns will also continue.
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