Gov`t Building Health System Resilience to Infectious Diseases

The Government is putting in place a robust health system that can effectively respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious health threats, says Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

He noted that infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Mpox can put significant pressure on the public health sector.

“With the new and re-emerging infectious diseases and the impact of climate change, the system must be capable of preparing for, detecting and responding to these health threats effectively,” he said.

The Minister’s remarks were delivered by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Errol Greene, at the media launch of the One Health Project on Friday (Sept.13) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

Being undertaken by the Ministry through funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will support Jamaica in adopting an approach that recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.

It will mobilise multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems.

The project will see improved coordination among the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and environmental partners to address new and re-emerging health threats, including zoonotic and vector-borne illnesses such as Mpox and dengue.

Dr. Tufton said that over the next year, the project will lay the foundation for critical, long-term investments and technical support to enhance public health security and resilience, thereby bolstering the country’s capacity to prepare for future health emergencies.

“This step will further position Jamaica to understand new health threats, even as we intensify efforts towards building a strong and resilient public health system,” he said, underscoring that infectious diseases know no borders, and early detection is crucial in mitigating their impact.

For his part, Counsellor at the USAID, Clinton White, highlighted the importance of building the resilience of the public health system to tackle infectious diseases.

He noted that the One Health approach involves working at the local, national, regional, and international levels to achieve optimal health outcomes “recognising the interconnection between people, animals and plants.”