In light of the devastating impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the region’s health, business and tourism sectors, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has noted the need to pursue ‘Health in All Policies’, as Jamaica and the Americas strive to recover from the coronavirus.

Speaking in his role as chairman of the 59th PAHO Directing Council meeting, Tufton stated, “Health in All Policies (HiAP) must now not only be a cliché that we call upon when convenient (but) it must become a way of life.

“Businesses must now build into their operation plans, attention to infection prevention and control, emergency response plans and contingency plans for health emergencies.”

HiAP reflects an approach that integrates and articulates health considerations into policymaking across sectors to improve the health of individuals and communities, recognising the many factors that contribute to health.

According to the minister, the strategic link between health and the economy cannot be overemphasised when “COVID-19 has led to a global recession which has been described as the ‘deepest’ since the end of World War II”.

He stated: “In 2020, the global economy which was forecasted to grow by 3.4 per cent contracted by 3.5 per cent.

“Despite this, the world economy, according to the World Bank, ‘is poised to stage its most robust post-recession recovery in the last 80 years, in 2021. But the rebound is expected to be uneven across countries, as major economies look set to register strong growth even as many developing economies lag behind.”

Latin America and the Caribbean, Tufton explained, are characterised by a high dependence on imports of raw materials, medicines, and other health technologies from other regions.

As a result, he said: “The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean estimates that in 2018, only four per cent of a Latin American and Caribbean series of health products imports came from the sub-region itself.

“This forecast of a vastly different recovery process for developed and developing countries will result in many countries in our region grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for a very long time.”

Given the background of economies under severe strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister expressed the importance of stakeholders working together for recovery.

He stated: “As the health system must learn to accommodate COVID-19, so also must the business sector. Several factors will affect recovery. The ability of firms and workers to pivot, to implement policies to stem the spread of the
infection in the workplace, and to apply innovations to allow businesses to continue, despite COVID-19, will make a difference in our recovery efforts.”