LAST night I read the APNU-AFC manifesto, and I was so excited I could have burst. The Coalition made commitments to transform the lives of Guyanese of all ages, in every region.

Commitments were made to sugar workers, teachers, policemen, nurses and public servants, among others. The Coalition’s Contract with Guyana is indeed a commitment to drastically improve the quality of life of all Guyanese. The UN’s 2019 Human Development Report listed Guyana with a Human Development Index (HDI) ranking of 123 out of 189 countries. Guyana’s index of 0.67 placed it in the Medium Development Category along with El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, India, and Ghana. No other CARICOM country is in the medium Human Development Category. Haiti is in the low Human Development Category, while all other CARICOM countries are either in the high or very high human development category.

The threshold for High Human Development category and very High Human Development category are indexes of 0.7 and 0.8 respectively. With an index of 0.67 Guyana will soon be in the High Human Development Category. Before the end of the Decade of Development, announced by President Granger, Guyana will join the Bahamas as the only other CARICOM country in the Very High Human Development category. It might be difficult for some people to conceptualize HDI and what that means for their individual circumstances. What moving from medium category to high category really means for their quality of life? Well, the main components of the HDI are life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling, mean years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. With this we could look at Guyana and make an assessment.

Two basis amenities which impact the quality of life of Guyanese are electricity and potable water supply. The APNU-AFC contract with Guyana commits to providing uninterrupted electricity and water supply. The ability to turn on the shower at any time of the day or night, and have a powerful flow of water, will be the order of the day. The fear of “Blackout” during the CPL finals or the finale of a popular television show would be a thing of the past. No community, no village will be excepted. All communities in Region 1 to Region 10 will benefit.

So what about expected years of schooling and average years of schooling? Well, President Granger addressed that frontally with his PEAS, PETS, and PENS programs. Through the Public Educational Assistance Service (PEAS), President Granger will give parents of children 15 years and younger cash grants as rewards for keeping their children in school. The Public Education Transportation Service (PETS), and the Public Education Nutrition Service will also provide assistance to parents. No child will miss school because of transportation cost, and no child will miss school because they are hungry. Expected and Average years of schooling will increase dramatically.

Life expectancy at birth is another critical factor. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), HIV AIDS, suicide and road deaths are the leading causes of premature deaths in Guyana. The APNU-AFC Contract with Guyana outlines revolutionary steps to address all of these. President Granger will:

•  Extend  universal  primary  healthcare  to  ensure  that  every  citizen  is  able  to  access health services within close proximity of his or her place of residence;
•  Reduce  disparities  in  health  services  between  the  hinterland  and  the  coastland and between urban and rural areas;
•  Construct and equip new nursing schools in rural and hinterland communities;
•  Provide modern equipment  and technology  and employ  attendant  skilled personnel for hospitals countrywide;
•  Provide modern mental health care services countrywide.
These measures will ensure Guyanese all over the country have easy access to cutting edge medical care close to their communities. No longer will Guyanese in the hinterland areas have to depend on medevac for survival. First class hospitals will be in every region. Preventative medicine will also be drastically improved though the network of primary healthcare facilities across the country.

The fight against NCDs, like heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, is through education, maintaining health lifestyle, early diagnosis, and prompt and effective care. The APNU-AFC Contract with Guyana will deliver on this. It is promised that, all housing communities  will be  allocated  spaces for recreational facilities and parks.  This access will make it easy for Guyanese to maintain a healthy lifestyle and hence be less susceptible to diabetes, hypertension etc. President Granger will ensure a healthier nation and before the end of the Decade of Development life expectancy at birth could be in the high 70s.

Guyana’s oil and gas sector will drive economic growth like crazy. Availability of cheap and reliable electricity through natural gas generation will drive the expansion of the manufacturing sector. There will be an agricultural boom as a result of the construction of new drainage and irrigation schemes, and processing facilities. Gross National Income per capita will increase drastically.

As a result of significant improvements in life expectancy at birth, average years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita, Guyana Human Development Index should be above 0.8 by the end of the Decade of Development.