7 News Belize

PAHO Big Boss in Belize
posted (February 14, 2017)
The Director General of PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne is in Belize for a two day visit. Last night, she hosted a forum on health financing. Etienne also participated in the Country Cooperation Strategy, which serves as a guide for the development of Belize's National Health Sector Strategic Plan 2014-2024. After the event, we spoke to her about improving and financing the country's universal health care.

Dr. Carissa Etienne - Dir.,PAHO/Reg. Dir. of Americas-WHO
"So the presentation tonight was on universal health coverage, universal access to health and in particular we looked at the financing of the health system, the need for investment, increase in domestic investments, but with an eye into equity. We also touched on the social dominance of health and how those contributed to the health status and well-being of people. Importantly we spoke about the various elements that are required for strengthening health systems."

Alex Courtenay, 7News
"As you mentioned the universal health coverage, that needs to be financed from somewhere and with that comes with taxation. We know a lot of Belizeans or people in the Caribbean in general may not be able to afford the extra taxation. Are we looking for maybe government subsidies or are we looking for maybe the private sectors or the rich and the subsidies for the poor?"

Dr. Carissa Etienne
"The principals behind financing health services is equity, the right to have and solidarity. Therefor we need to be sure that the poor particularly have access to health care services. We need to be sure that the people who live in vulnerable conditions have access to health care services. And we need to be sure that they are not impoverish in so doing, that they don't become poor because they seek health services or that the payment when they seek care do not become a barrier to them seeking care."

We also spoke to Etienne about a PAHO and UN report released earlier this year. A study done by the organizations found that about 58% or the population of Latin America and the Caribbean, or 360 million people, are overweight. Etienne discussed the problem and the solution.

Dr. Carissa Etienne - Dir.,PAHO/Reg. Dir. of Americas-WHO
"In our region, not globally but certainly in our region we have increasing rates of childhood obesity but also overall obesity. Obesity is caused primarily from eating unhealthily and from physical inactivity. We know very importantly that breastfeeding is one of the ways of reducing obesity. The first thousand days of life is very important. We advocate for breastfeeding for at least 6 months and to have healthy foods and after that we advocate for increased activity in schools. So, put back physical activity or physical education on the curriculum and ensure that happens for all school children, be they in primary schools, secondary school or whatever level of schools they are. They need this. We advocate for healthy eating and it's not merely personal responsibility or behavior change. It's also creating the enabling environment. We advocate that government need to increase taxes on sugary beverages. We ask people to eat as close to nature as possible. So instead of juicing and adding sugar, eat your fruit. We speak to high fats and high salts, that all of those need to be reduced, that people need to exercise as regularly but we need to ensure exercise areas are safe so people can walk. We need to ensure that people have pathways so people can walk without falling. Some countries have blocked roads so people can exercise. It's a holistic approach and in fact in Belize you produce adequate fruits and vegetables for all of your peoples, so we need to educate and advocate for them to begin to eat what they grow and to grow more of what they eat as well. You shouldn't have a problem of obesity but you do."

The strategic plan will work to improve about the country's healthcare infrastructure, and to ensure that it is affordable to everyone, regardless of their income.

TODAY, Dr. Etienne met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow to commend him for success in promoting immunization and dramatically reducing the burden of malaria.

Other subjects discussed during Etienne's meeting with Barrow included progress toward the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis, efforts to strengthen Belize's health system to advance toward universal access and universal coverage as well as tobacco regulation, taxes on sugary beverages, and food labeling to warn consumers about high levels of salt, sugar, and fats in processed foods.

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