The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE World Health Organization’s Director General paid a courtesy call on Health Minister Dr Duane Sands on Friday to pledge the organisation’s support in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ visit to the Bahamas comes nearly four weeks after Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama.

This is the first time that a person holding the position of Director General of WHO has visited the Bahamas, Dr Sands said. “It’s unfortunate,” he said, “that it is under these conditions, but we are appreciative to have our international partners here.”

Dr Ghebreyesus, who, on arrival, was informed by Dr Sands about the damage to the islands, commended the government’s readiness to provide help and healthcare to those affected.

During a press conference held at the Ministry of Health on Friday, Dr Ghebreyesus said WHO remains committed to helping the country in speeding up the recovery process in the storm damaged islands.

“I believe that based upon what we agreed in the STG’s to leave no one behind so that every corner of the world matters. We have to take that seriously and that is why I take it as a must to cooperate and to work together (with the Bahamian government),” he said.

Earlier this month, Dr Sands noted that several health care facilities in Abaco and Grand Bahama suffered structural damage as a result of the storm, rendering them “inoperable.”

Since then, restoration efforts to those health facilities have already started and, according to Dr Ghebreyesus, WHO teams have already been deployed to assist with the recovery process in the storm-impacted islands.

Dr Ghebreyesus also spoke about the impending threat of climate change for small island developing states.

“Climate change for the small islands is a fact and it’s not an issue that you can debate and its impact we have seen it already in the frequency of hurricanes and it’s a matter of survival for the small island nations…so we have to be very serious in what we’re seeing in the mitigation and manifestation for climate change,” he said.

Dr Sands expressed gratitude to Dr Ghebreyesus and WHO at large for lending their support to the country following the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

“Dr Tedros and his platform would’ve made it clear that he had a commitment to universal healthcare and that he was deeply concerned about the health needs of women, adolescents and children, but very particularly concerned about the impact climate change and environmental change has on the health of the people of the world,” he said.

“It is a privilege to have (Dr Ghebreyesus) here. I believe (he) has demonstrated absolute support, not just for the region of the Americas, but for the Bahamas in particular. ”