03 | THE RESULTS – DELIVERY BY SECTORS
MODERNIZING HEALTHCARE IN THE CARIBBEAN
Good health is the foundation of all human endeavors and will be increasingly critical in the context of climate shocks. In 2023, the OPEC Fund provided US$50 million in loans to health sector projects in partner countries worldwide.
An archipelago of more than 30 islands in the south- east corner of the Caribbean Sea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lies squarely on the frontline of climate change — in “Hurricane Alley”. Yet this Small Island Developing State has multiple other risks to contend with: from recent volcanic eruptions to rising sea levels to an increasing prevalence of non-com- municable diseases (NDCs). The latter, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, led to around 85 percent of local deaths in 2019 — more than 10 percent above the global average, according to the Global Burden of Dis- ease Study from the University of Washington, USA. Combined with the COVID-19 pandemic and the chal- lenge of maintaining essential services in the event of hurricanes, droughts and floods, the high rate of NCDs has put enormous pressure on the islands’ ageing health infrastructure. It has also jeopardized gains made to- wards the 2030 Agenda including maternal and neonatal mortality, under-five mortality, incidence of tuberculosis, and the country's stated ambition to achieve universal health coverage.
with the OPEC Fund and the World Bank to overhaul the country’s healthcare system with the help of a three-pronged program, which is fully aligned with the National Health Sector Strategic Plan 2019–2025. For the first and main aspect, the OPEC Fund is con- tributing US$30 million to help construct an acute care hospital just south of the capital, Kingstown, on the main island of Saint Vincent. Replacing Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, a structure dating back to the 1800s on a site at risk of flooding and wildfires, the new hospital will accommodate over 130 beds and span 18,500 m 2 . The hospital will be state-of-the-art, energy efficient and climate resilient with the capacity to deal with more complex cases than its predecessor. The second project component aims to reinforce the healthcare system by improving the country’s disaster resilience including specific plans to ensure continuity of service and coverage during national emergencies. The third component will support capacity building in areas including contract and financial management, environ- ment and social safeguards, and monitoring and evalu- ation — all with a view to future-proofing healthcare for decades to come in the context of climate change.
To redress the balance, the government has partnered
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