EU Provides Grant To Strengthen Health System

• The European Union (EU) has approved a grant of €10.00Mn to finance a project, titled, ‘Health System Strengthening Programme’, which is expected to bolster Jamaica’s health sector.
• This disclosure was made by Head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, at the recent opening of a Maternal and Neonatal High-Dependency Unit (HDU) at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St. Ann. She explained that the EU will co-finance an ongoing Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan with the grant, which will focus on the rehabilitation of 10 health centres across the island. This temporary measure is part of a suite of policy initiatives implemented by the GOJ, to make accessing loans from the SLB, and by extension obtaining a tertiary education, more feasible and attainable.
• “The European Union recognises the importance of a strong national health system as one of the most important public goods of a nation and is continuing to support Jamaica and the Caribbean to achieve this end,” she said.
• She informed that the EU, in partnership with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), has also mobilised a total amount of €8.00Mn to cater for the most urgent needs of Caribbean countries in managing the fight against COVID-19.

 

(Source: JIS)