National Strategic Health Plan 2007-2012.

This National Strategic Health Plan 2007-2012 was made possible through the collective efforts of many persons, including the contributions of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). The Food Nutrition and Physical Activity Goal aims at improving nutrition and food security status for the population of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and decreasing the burden of nutritional disorders and nutrition related CNCDs on society. Its strategies establish a food and nutrition council appointed by cabinet with related ministerial mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation in Food and Nutrition by end 2008. Implement a National Food and Nutrition Surveillance system for the assessment, monitoring, analysis and reporting on nutritional status, household food security and food consumption behaviour of key population groups by end of 2009. Establish National Nutrition and Dietetic Association by year-end 2008.
The policy of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines aims to provide universal health care that reflects the principles of equity, affordability, quality and cultural acceptance. The Ministry of Health and the Environment (MOHE) is the state agency responsible for the coordination of health issues in the country and therefore led and will lead in the preparation and implementation, respectively, of the health sector plan. The mission of the Ministry of Health and the Environment is: To provide equitable, quality, sustainable, comprehensive, primary, secondary and tertiary health care, health promotion, nutrition and health education services to the population and to promote the protection and preservation of the environment and its natural resources, through a process of health services delivery, environmental assessment/research and dynamic management within the context of available resources, thus contributing to a healthier nation living in environmentally safe and friendly communities.
The health sector welcomes the government’s emphasis on poverty reduction and education reform. It is well known that an association between economic deprivation and ill health has been found wherever and whenever it has been examined. Poverty begets illness and illness begets poverty. The Poverty Assessment Study Report of 1996 for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines identified 37% of households and 42% of the population as poor. This vicious cycle continues to negate the effects of even the most ambitious public health interventions. Poverty is associated with poor environmental conditions, nutrient deficiencies, excess energy intake, unemployment, poor care-seeking tendencies and increased risky behaviors. Any health intervention in the context of poverty must go beyond the realm of health and develop strategies aimed at alleviating poverty and subsequently ill health by providing safety nets for the underprivileged and the indigent. The health sector must be able to quantify the economic cost of ill health and effectively use this in its advocacy.
The role of the environment as an important determinant of health has become more prominent over the last decade. The recent decline in agricultural activities has seen greater focus being placed on tourism as a viable alternative and as such, an engine for economic growth and development. While St. Vincent and the Grenadines possesses a tourism product of excellent quality, there is need to pay greater attention to the physical and social environment. Apart from enjoying sand, sea and sunshine, tourism product consumers need to know that adequate facilities are available for the disposal of liquid and solid waste, that safe food is being offered for consumption and potable and coastal waters present no health risk and that they can receive quality health care if necessary.