Barbados - Plans for Centennial Celebrations

Minister of Health Honors PAHO Centennial

Minister of Health Marcus Betel honored PAHO's centennial in a presentation before a session of parliament on December 2, where he recognized the Organization's contribution to the delivery of health care in the country.

Post Master General Presents PAHO Director with Centennial Stamps

The Director of PAHO, Dr. George Alleyne, was given a framed presentation of a recently released set of stamps issued by the Post Master General of Barbados in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The presentation took place this morning at the Grantley Adams Airport, while Dr. Alleyne was in transit to Washington on his way from official visits to Antigua, Dominica and St. Vincent.

The PAHO Director's image is on one of the stamps in the set of four, the other three depict Women's Health, Physical Activity, and HIV/AIDS awareness.

On hand for the presentation was the Health Minister, Honorable Dr. Jerome Walcott, who said that each of the stamps reflect an emphasis of the program areas of his Ministry. In paying tribute to PAHO for its contribution to the Ministry of Health reform process, he said that the country was pleased to have collaborated with the organization on many of its priority programs and was also pleased to have been a part of the centennial celebrations that had been mounted throughout the Americas throughout the year. He added that Barbados was proud to claim the PAHO Director as a son of the soil and wished him well as he now looked toward retiring from the organization.

In making the presentation the Post Master General, Mr. Joel Braithwaite, said that his office had seen the exercise as a not to be missed opportunity to honor a son of Barbados and head of such an important organization.

Dr. Alleyne, expressed his pleasure at what he considered a great honor given him by his own country and said that he accepted the presentation with humility and pride. He congratulated the Post Master on the quality of the stamps which he described as fitting philatelic tribute to the PAHO centennial.

The acting Caribbean Program Coordinator (CPC), Engineer Harry Philippeaux, thanked the Government of Barbados and especially the Barbados Postal Service for the recognition it had given to the Centennial and especially for honoring Dr. Alleyne, by issuing the stamps. He affirmed that this was a mark of how well Dr. Alleyne had contributed to the work of the Organization, and that Barbados and the Caribbean could be justly proud of Dr. Alleyne's contribution to the health and wellbeing of all the people of the Americas.

Also on hand for the presentation were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Lionel Weekes, the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Miller and the Director of Finance in the Postal Service Mr. Nigel Cobham.

Centennial Celebrations Launched in Barbados

The Caribbean Program Coordination (CPC) Office mounted a backdrop of colour and music to create an atmosphere of "corporate celebrations" in its conference room and main lobby for the Caribbean launch of the organization's Centennial on January 17, 2002.

Although billed as a press conference, a cross section of representatives of state, the diplomatic community, the University of the West Indies, non governmental organizations, school children, the media and members of staff crowded into the CPC conference room to share in what was described by the Caribbean Program Coordinator Mrs. Veta Brown as "a special moment in history."

The occasion was used to launch the poster, essay, and print journalism contests.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Colonel Neville Edwards, lauded the work undertaken by PAHO in the region of the Americas generally and the Caribbean specifically. He affirmed that it had been PAHO's growth and development over the years, which played a pivotal role in improving health conditions in small island states like Barbados. The statement further disclosed that the Ministry of Health proposed to stage a number of events throughout the year designed to highlight PAHO's achievements and to raise public awareness of some of the issues and developments in health over the years.

The audience was treated to a selection of 12 public service messages produced by PAHO in commemoration of the anniversary interspersed at various points throughout the morning's proceedings. The CPC disclosed that Barbados television station the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), in addition to several other national television stations in the nine Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) served by the CPC office, had agreed to televise the messages throughout the year.

A special feature of the launch was the guest appearance of one of Barbados' noted soca artists Brian 'Bumba' Payne. He gave a stirring rendition 'Drug Free Lives' during which he had the audience singing and moving rhythmically as he gyrated while belting out his selection of health awareness music.

Following the CPC's closing remarks the curtains came down on the morning's proceedings to the now region-wide acclaimed celebratory soca anthem "High Mass: Give Praise Children" by another of the region's performing giants, David Rudder.

Other Plans

January 2002

17 Jan - Barbados Centennial Launch - PAHO CPC Office

February 2002

14 Feb - Bahamas Centennial Launch

22 Feb - Guyana Centennial Launch

26-28 Feb - St. Lucia Centennial Launch

March 2002

2-12 Mar - Centennial competition winners selected

7-10 Mar - 8th International Conference on Diabetes and Obesity; organized by the University of the West Indies Diabetes Outreach Project (UDOP), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute. To be held at the Renaissance Jamaica Grand Resort, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

April 2002

5 Apr - Health Fair in Grenada

7 Apr - Walk for Health

8 Apr - CPC Exhibition: Celebrating 100 years of Health

11 Apr - St. Vincent - Honoring Health Heroes
Antigua - Public Tribute to PAHO and Health at its Multicultural Centre

18-19 Apr - CARICOM Tribute, St. Kitts

May 2002

19 May - Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza: Enjoy and Celebrate

21-25 May - Climate Variability and Change and their Health Effects in the Caribbean. "Information for Climate Change Adaptation Planning"

June 2002

14-15 Jun - National Exhibition " Celebrating Health" Sherbourne Center, Barbados

July 2002

St Vincent & the Grenadines - OECS Meeting

August 2002

Newspaper Supplement

September 2002

22 Sep - Walk/Run for Life: 5K

Media Features

October 2002

10 Oct - Mental Health Day

November 2002

4 Nov - Cultural Tribute in Jamaica

11 Nov - PAHO Staff Association meets in Barbados

December 2002

1 Dec - World AIDS Day

2 Dec - PAHO 100 Birthday Commemoration

4 Dec - PAHO Awards

Barbados Drug Company Public Lecture

Launch of Special Stamp Issue

Dominica's tribute

Please visit www.pahocpc.org for the latest information.

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