Rowley hails collaboration against covid19

Dr Keith Rowley -
Dr Keith Rowley -

THE Prime Minister, speaking as Caricom chairman, thanked India, Barbados, Dominica and the African Union, for helping supply covid19 vaccines to regional countries, in his opening statement at the Caricom Heads of Government 32nd Intersessional Meeting. It was held virtually.

"The generosity of the governments of Barbados and Dominica in sharing their vaccine gifts, received from the Government of India, is particularly noteworthy and commendable. Prime Minister Mottley, your pioneering role in securing the community’s access to vaccines through the African Medical Supplies Platform showed great ingenuity,  foresight and stamina.

"Allow me to also express my sincerest appreciation to the governments of India and of the African Union for their benevolence and allowing us a pathway to access much needed vaccines to safeguard the health of the people of our community. We continue to anticipate that our many approaches, requests and orders will soon result in satisfying deliveries of approved vaccines for our anxious populations."

Dr Rowley said this virus was a reminder of the importance of regionalism, multi-lateralism and South-South co-operation, especially in a crisis.

He thanked outgoing Caricom chairman St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, plus Caricom secretary general Irwin LaRocque for his "quintessential cool, calm and steady manner."

He said the region was challenged by the  "perilous pandemic" plus traditional threats of external economic shocks, climate change and financial blacklisting.

To access concessional funding for post-pandemic recovery, Rowley advocated a broadening of existing economic vulnerability indices to consider the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and pandemics.

Despite Caricom's relative success against covid19, regional tourism was hard hit by travel bans, but he hoped Caricom integration could help overall recovery.

Rowley lamented the US Capitol incursion, the Guyana-Venezuela border row, the unavailability of covid19 vaccines, the US designation of Cuba as a terrorism sponsor and the Haiti situation.

He thanked the WHO for its efforts at vaccine equity, adding, "Today, I also acknowledge and welcome the commitments made by the US, UK, France and Germany to the global mechanism Covax and to equitable allocation of vaccines."

He said the region was anxiously awaiting shipments of vaccines from Covax.

Rowley said Caricom was invaluable against covid19, citing the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), plus the sharing of medical resources.

He said the virus affected people with co-morbidities such as non-communicable diseases, whose high rates in the region may be due to poor-quality diets.

"We need to redouble our efforts in addressing NCDs and exploring their nexus with food and nutrition security."

Rowley espoused more efforts against crime and violence, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Saluting the work of the Caricom Reparations Commission, he welcomed Dr Heather Cateau, of UWI, St. Augustine, to head TT's National Committee on Reparations.

And he concluded: "I couldn't end without congratulating the West Indies touring team for the long-awaited victory away from home," he said in a reference to the regional team's two-Test series win in Bangladesh. "They surely lifted our spirits again as they underlined the fact that good things happen when we stay in the fight, little but tallawah," he said, borrowing a Jamaican expression.

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"Rowley hails collaboration against covid19"

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