PAHO/WHO Eastern Caribbean Cooperation Strategy 2006-2009: PAHO/WHO Medium Term Cooperation Strategy for Barbados and Member Countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

Abstract

[Executive Summary]. In 2002 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the introduction of the Country Focus Initiative (CFI) using the country cooperation strategy (CCS) as the nationally agreed framework, to focus the work of WHO in the countries it serves. The CCS combines a realistic assessment of a country’s needs with subregional, regional, and global priorities. At the end of 2003, the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), approved an initiative for the development of a cooperation strategy for 10 countries in the eastern Caribbean namely: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines and the three United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat. The multicountry Eastern Caribbean Cooperation Strategy (ECCS), as it is called, was developed through a consultative process involving representatives from the public sector and nongovernmental organizations from all the Eastern Caribbean countries including development partners serving this group of countries. The ECCS was formulated on the opportunities arising from the confluence of (a) the needs, interests and expectations of the countries, focusing on their health and development challenges; (b) PAHO/WHO’s policy framework; and (c) the work of development partners in health. The resulting draft strategy was presented to the above groups and its further development was facilitated by two sets of consultations with the Ministers of Health to get their agreement on the elements needed to enhance the country presence of the Organization. The ECCS will guide the PAHO/WHO technical cooperation programs designed to support the countries in meeting health and development challenges.