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St. Kitts
Cabinet Approves National Strategic Health Plan
(BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS - CUOPM ), FEBRUARY 26TH 2008
– The St. Kitts and Nevis Cabinet on Monday approved a new
National Strategic Health Plan, designed to address the
major healthcare challenges facing the twin-island
Federation.
The five-year plan, presented by Minister of Health, Hon.
Rupert Herbert, sets out strategies to achieve a healthier
and more production nation and was developed through support
from the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO).
It has adopted a multi-sectoral approach involving
government, the private sector, and civil society and is
based on seven critical pillars.
The Development of the Health Systems will focus on
sustainable financing mechanisms, diagnostic capacity and
continuous quality improvement, while the Family Health
segment will pay increased attention to immunization, men’s
health, and senior citizens’ health.
The Plan calls for the Mental health and Substance Abuse
area to draw on legislation and human rights, improved
mental health team composition, service provision and
capacity management.
The Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Management, Nutrition
and Physical Activity component is expected to emphasize
re-orientation of the public health services, improve public
health policy, research and surveillance.
According to the National Strategic Health Plan, the
Environmental Health component will stress food safety and
security, port surveillance and the monitoring of water
quality, while the HIV/AIDS and Sexually-Transmitted
Infections segment will target the prevention, treatment,
care and support of the infected as well as research.
The Human Resource Development component is expected to
improve recruitment, training and retention, performance and
productivity and occupational health and safety.
Cabinet approved the new health plan and mandated its swift
systematic implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
The new health plan also delivers on the government’s
commitment to four important imperative, the Caribbean
Cooperation in Health (CCH), the Nassau Declaration of 2001,
the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the
recent Declaration of Port of Spain which calls for a united
front in the region to stop the epidemic of chronic
non-communicable disease.
