This morning Head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, Ambassador Her Excellency Malgorzata Wasilewska, visited the PAHO/WHO Country Office to meet with PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Noreen Jack, and the PAHO team. Accompanied by Mr Nicolaus Hansmann, Team Leader, EU Technical Office in Belize, HE Wasilewska discussed the ongoing EU-funded Health Sector Support Programme Belize that PAHO/WHO is jointly implementing with the Ministry of Health.
Ambassador Wasilewska highlighted the EU's willingness to support the programme which is in line with the Government's own development imperatives:
"This project anticipates the potential impact of natural hazards like hurricanes, flooding and droughts to which Belize and other countries in the region are prone and seeks to mitigate their effect on people's health and wellbeing by putting in place health facilities that are not only environmentally friendly and resilient to disasters but accessible to all".
The Representation of PAHO/WHO in Belize welcomed the visit of the EU Ambassador as a symbol of the strong partnership between PAHO/WHO and EU, bounded by a common commitment to improve the quality of life, for all Belizeans, living now and in the future. Dr. Jack further emphasized:
"This EU-funded project is contributing to strengthening the health sector in Belize, first through the development of climate-friendly, energy-efficient and resilient health facilities that can withstand the threats of disasters and continue to provide care for the communities they serve. Secondly, through advancing the progress towards universal health care with a primary health care approach to support the provision of comprehensive, people-centered and quality care close to where people live."
PAHO/WHO has a long history of technical cooperation in health with Belize since the country joined PAHO/WHO as a member State in August 1984. PAHO/WHO will continue technical cooperation aligned with the Belize Country Cooperation Strategy 2017-2021, which is intimately related to the specific objectives of this EU Project.
It is anticipated that all citizens of Belize will benefit from the expected results of the project through its focus on improving health facilities, services and systems in the country, particularly those communities living in rural and disadvantaged areas."
