As part of a proactive approach to prepare the country for any future health crises that may arise such as the COVID-19 one, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh on behalf of the Government of Guyana and the World Bank’s Resident Representative Diletta Doretti yesterday signed a US$22 million (US$7 million loan from the World Bank and US$15 million grant from the Pandemic Fund) One Health Project for the country that will see the strengthening of Guyana’s capacities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to health emergencies through a One Health approach, and in the case of an eligible crisis or emergency, respond promptly and effectively to it.
The One Health Project will include various components including enhanced laboratory and workforce capacity, strengthening health surveillance systems for early detection and response, strengthening one health coordination and capacity, a rapid data driven health surveillance system, a strengthened public health workforce and enhanced border security.
Speaking during the signing, Dr. Singh said the signing ceremony was truly historic and that since Government assumed office in 2020, during a pandemic, President Ali recognised the importance of protecting the people of Guyana, noting that the country at the time was woefully unprepared, and Government found a very responsive partner in the World Bank which helped the country to successfully navigate that period in a manner in which Guyana is now recognised as an outstanding example in the hemispheric and global community. This, he noted, has led to Guyana being invited to serve on the board of the Pandemic Fund.
“The Guyana example has been cited on multiple occasions and the project checks every box, for example the project illustrates the use of World Bank/IDA resources to leverage additional resources, such as the grant now received from the Pandemic Fund. Additionally, it is a project that is fully aligned with national priorities addressing actions that emerged from the Government’s Action Plan for pandemic preparedness,” Dr. Singh further explained.
The Minister reiterated that President Ali has emphasized how important it is to improve the lives of every Guyanese person in the shortest possible time and in particular, investment in health and education, which are at the top of his government’s policy agenda as well as to allow for each citizen having access to world class education and health.
Mr. Jaime Saavedra, Director of Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Bank who witnessed the signing said the World Bank remains fully committed to assisting Guyana and posited that the project reflects the strong commitment of the Government of Guyana to enhanced health resilience. He added that the move by the Guyana Government is also an excellent example of regional and global leadership.
“This phrase of One Health puts together this interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental health and it reminds us that a threat to one of them eventually results in a threat to all. I think this is strong leadership of the country to bring together public health on one hand, veterinary science on the other and environmental management, or everything at the same time sets a very strong example,” he further noted.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony who witnessed the signing, while expressing appreciation to the bank for its assistance and flexibility, noted that Government recognized that the country must prepare for future pandemics as he alluded to the administration’s previous work with the bank during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Going forward we recognized that we have to be prepared for future pandemics and to be prepared one of the things we have been looking at is how to get to ‘readiness’, so we have been able to do an assessment, and we have been doing it regularly since 2022, so that we could examine gaps we have in our response system. We are one of the few countries, maybe the only country in the Americas that did a joint external evaluation of how we respond to pandemics and based on those findings, we have been able to put together a plan. That plan is what we want to use these resources for to be able to fill those gaps,” Dr. Anthony explained.
He added that Guyana applied to the pandemic fund and has been very successful.
Only yesterday, His Excellency President Irfaan Ali commissioned a new College of Medical Sciences building at the University of Guyana (UG). The School of Medicine is fully accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) for four years commencing from August 1, 2024, and the completion of the building was a prerequisite for the university maintaining its accreditation.
The College has a current registration of over 1100 students spread across 17 undergraduate programmes inclusive of, but not limited to Medicine, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Imaging Technology, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy.
The building consists of 8 classrooms, including a large lecture theatre that can accommodate 210 students, 2 75-seater classrooms and 5 50-seater classrooms.
The new College aligns with the One Health Project as Government remains committed to providing world class health facilities and access to world class education for students across the country.
