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Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean in talks with PAHO Representative Ernest Pate.
Issues related to health care in Barbados came to the fore yesterday when the new Representative for the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Ernest Pate, called on Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean.
While presenting his credentials to Senator McClean at the Ministry’s Culloden Road headquarters, Dr. Pate reiterated PAHO’s commitment to Barbados, adding that
his organisation would work with Government to ensure that the necessary plans were put in place to assist in meeting the health needs of Barbadians.
The PAHO Representative added that his organisation was in the process of assisting with the development of a regional health insurance mechanism, which would assist in the provision of health care in Barbados and a number of other countries in the region.
Ms. McClean welcomed the new Representative, and lauded PAHO for the work that it had done so far in Barbados.?? She noted that one major health concern of Government was the high numbers of persons being diagnosed with chronic non-communicable diseases and the resulting deaths and amputation of limbs.
She opined that youth needed to be targeted in this area and that more strategies should be developed to encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyles.??????