United Nations Jamaica 76th Anniversary

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents a broad opportunity for the ‘five P’s’: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. In particular, the health-oriented Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people at all ages. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / World Health Organization (WHO) serves as connecting and coordinating entities to achieve this goal. PAHO/WHO lays the groundwork for action across diverse sectors whose activities have significant effects on health, and the Organization’s technical cooperation work is guided by its Country Cooperation Strategy (2017–2022). Similarly, governments, the private sector, civil society, other international organizations, and collaborating partners follow their corresponding strategies and will continue to innovate and adapt to meet a broader and multifaceted vision of health and development. People & The Pandemic Response COVID-19 exposed new vulnerabilities within the health sector and but also revealed opportunities to bolster health systems. The challenges through 2020/2021 required the PAHO/ WHO Country Office in Jamaica to leverage well established relationships to provide effective technical guidance and capacity- building to support national health responses. Together with government collaboration and leadership, key highlights include: » Laboratory training to introduce molecular detection capacity for diagnosis of COVID-19 at Jamaica’s National Influenza Centre and National Public Health Laboratory. » Training of 20,000 healthcare workers and related frontline workers in areas such as surveillance, infection prevention and control, laboratory capacity strengthening clinical management. » Collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Education to train health and education officers to implement the Mental Health Literacy in Schools programme island wide. Partnership Partnerships are critical to achieving health gains. In this context, key highlights include: » Strengthening the information system for health (IS4H) to ensure collection of and access to the data required to inform decision-making processes at the different levels of the health systems, including policymakers, healthcare managers, health professionals, and patients. » Supporting the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Tobacco Control Team regarding the preparation of its comprehensive tobacco control legislation, the proposed Tobacco Control Act, 2020. » Supporting the National Public Health Laboratory through the donation of key equipment as part of the End Tuberculosis Strategy. Looking Ahead Consistently across the Americas, PAHO recommends that public expenditure on health should reach 6% of gross domestic product. However, based on recent statistics, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean spend an average of 3.7% - less than that which is considered to be required to ensure quality, timely health care for all. In September, leaders from PAHO and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) discussed necessary regional actions to strengthen the health, social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the future of health in the region offers opportunities for a transformative recovery, emphasizing the investment in sustainability and equality. Enabling development of Resilient Health Systems Ian Stein PAHO/WHO Representative Jamaica, Bermuda and The Cayman Islands PPE Delivery: The team at the PAHO/ WHO Jamaica Country Office delivers vital Personal Protective Equipment to assist frontline workers THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN JAMAICA 22