Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, Thursday July 28, 2016
The Premier and Minister of Health, Agriculture and Human Services, Dr. The Hon. Rufus W. Ewing will be leading a delegation to Washington DC this week to participate in two important meetings.
Premier Ewing will meet with his other Caribbean UK Overseas Territories Ministers of Health at the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Headquarters in Washington DC for an intense two days of meetings to advance the Multi-Country Strategy for the advancement of health care that was endorsed by the UKOT Ministers of Health in July 2014.
This is the first time that a multi-country strategy for technical cooperation has been developed to the benefit of the six Caribbean UKOTs of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The strategy will focus on three priority areas addressing health and the social determinants of health in alignment with the national health plans of the UKOTs and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 – “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. Premier Ewing will address the delegates on Thursday July 28th by giving an overview of the PAHO/WHO strategy for technical cooperation.
A key discussion will also take place on mental health and the incorporation of mental health care in primary health services. The Premier is joined by Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Health, Agriculture and Human Services, Mrs. Tamera Robinson and the Director of Health Services, Dr. Nadia Astwood.
On Friday July 29th Premier Ewing will meet with representatives of the U.S. Department of State for Energy to engage in high level discussions on renewable energy and opportunities for pilot projects being launched in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to pursue initiatives for climate change adaptation and mitigation which is being led by the Cabinet appointed Climate Change Committee.
Discussions will be held under the umbrella of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative that was launched by US Vice President Joe Biden in June 2014 and the commitments made by stakeholders at the January 2015 Caribbean Energy Security Summit that was hosted by Biden at the Department of State. These commitments included improved support for policy reform, improved donor coordination and increased access to investment towards the overall goal of comprehensive energy diversification to facilitate the introduction of cleaner forms of energy in the Caribbean.
The specific support areas provided to the Caribbean are through improvement in governance, facilitation of development of cleaner energy sources, development of collaborative networks on clean energy, financial support for clean energy projects, increasing energy efficiency and expansion of access to electricity, information and technology.
Among other initiatives, the US Department of State is currently supporting technical assistance in St. Kitts and Nevis for the development of their geothermal resources and the U. S. Department of Interior, along with State is assisting Jamaica with the development of commercial renewable energy on public lands. The Premier will be joined by the Director of the Office of the Premier and Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Ms. Althea Been and the Energy and Utilities Commissioner in the Energy and Utilities Department of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, Mr. Malike Cummings.
The delegations return home on Saturday July 30, 2016.
