27 July 2020- The PAHO Caribbean Sub regional Program Coordination Office, the Mental Health, Substance Use Unit the Office of Subregional organized the virtual launch of the Stronger Together Campaign 2020.
The launch featured speakers including, as well of remarks from the Caribbean Development Bank and CARICOM, as well as from Dr. Elisa Prieto, Advisor, NCDs and Mental Health, and Mrs. Jessie-Schutt-Aine, Subregional Programme Coordinator, on behalf of the Office of Subregional Program Coordination for the Caribbean. A panel discussion on “Stronger Together. Connecting to feel calm, safe and hopeful” followed, which included Maisha Hutton, Executive Director of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC); Claudina Cayetano, Advisor on Mental Health for PAHO; and Wendy Fernander, Clinical Psychologist at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in the Bahamas.
"Stronger Together" is a communication and awareness campaign developed by PAHO and CBD, that seeks to promote mental wellbeing and positive coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 hurricane season. The campaign will also aim to reduce the stigma about seeking mental health and psychosocial support and convey the basic principles of Psychological First Aid (PFA).
The communication campaign is part of a joint project by PAHO/WHO and the Caribbean Development Bank entitled "Building individual and social resilience to cope with the impacts of natural hazard events: enhancing capacity for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in disaster management in the Caribbean." This 2-year project also involves building regional capacity for MHPSS in disaster management in the Caribbean; strengthening in-country competencies to conduct needs assessments and action plans; and training journalists and health communicators, among other activities.