PAHO/WHO to support Bahamas in National Sustainable Development Plan
03/16/2015
The Plan is designed to be developed in an inclusive manner, crossing political party lines and involving the community at large. The development of the Plan intends to “eliminate embedded silos and create a continuous synergy that fosters the transformative results needed”, as stated by Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle, to produce a sustainable development plan that will move The Bahamas forward economically, socially and physically.
The first phase of the development process is nearing completion, with data collected to inform the situational reports upon which the plan will be developed. The SDP Unit identified twelve primer topics to describe the national situational analysis, incorporating the cross-cutting theme of gender equity throughout: financial services, poverty, public sector, Family Island development, crime, social and economic history, tourism, environment, education, social and cultural development, and health and health care.
The second and third phases incorporate meetings with the public and then drafting of the SDP, including the goals and indicators of success.
While the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) era, is coming to an end in 2015, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) can lay the groundwork for addressing the areas that prevent the country from fully realizing its potentials and allow for a participatory process that promotes involvement and ownership of the results.
PAHO/WHO country office for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos has been invited to participate in the development process and to provide guidance and consultation in several areas, including the review of the primers that impact health, including the social determinants of health, assistance in the completion of the MDG-2015 Report, and review of the situational analysis for health and the health system. PAHO/WHO will also assist in providing additional documentation that will further inform the development of the SDP and identify consultants to provide expertise within the areas of the twelve primers.
Sustainable Development Plan Unit pays a courtesy call to the Pan American Health Organization World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) country office for the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (Left to Right – Samantha Rolle, Project Manager, National Development Plan; Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle, Director of Financial Services, Ministry of Financial Services (Lead - National Development Plan); Dr. Gerry Eijkemans, PAHO/WHO Representative, The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands; Kathy Johnston, Consultant on Communicable Diseases (PAHO/WHO); and Kelly Salmond, Consultant on the Social Determinants of Health (PAHO/WHO).
About PAHO/WHO
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with more than 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations system.
About PAHO/WHO in The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) was first established in The Bahamas in 1978 as a sub-regional office of the Jamaica Office. By 1982, it was upgraded to a full Country Office Status. Since then, an important and healthy relationship has evolved, and although the priorities have shifted, PAHO/WHO has enjoyed a long history of engaging and supporting the Bahamas and Turks Caicos to ensure better health and quality of life of the general population.