Minister of Health, Donville Inniss (FP)??

Barbados can be justifiably proud of the gains it has made in health care.

Minister of Health, Donville Inniss, made this observation recently as he addressed the first Annual Everything Baby2Toddler Expo 2009, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two-Mile Hill, St. Michael.

Acknowledging that the country had long been aware of the correlation between health and development, Minister Inniss said these gains had been attained through the proactive planning and hard work of previous generations.

He said, "We recognise also that there is no greater policy imperative for any country than securing and sustaining its future, and that means putting children first.?? And, if we are to put children first, then we need to look at who cares for them and that means parents."

The Health Minister also pointed out that priority had always been given to family health, especially maternal and child health "since it had long been recognised that a country’s well-being was determined by the health and development of its vulnerable groups".

While noting that Government had invested approximately 14 percent of its annual budget in health care, Mr. Inniss said: "The World Bank estimates that for every dollar invested in child health, seven dollars are returned through reduced spending on social welfare and there is increased productivity of young people and adults".

jgill@barbados.gov.bb

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