GUYANA and Suriname have been discussing health and wellness matters related to their migrant and mobile populations during their first ever bi-national commission meeting at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

This two-day meeting which concludes today is being hosted by the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) in collaboration with the German Academy for International Cooperation (GIZ), EPOS Health Management (headquartered in Germany) and Guyana’s Health Ministry.
Making opening remarks at the meeting yesterday, Suriname’s Health Minister, Dr. Michel Blokland stated that not only do Guyana and Suriname share a long history of collaboration on health, but they also have many challenges in common, particularly in reaching their populations with health services, no matter where they have settled in their territories.
He said that he looks forward to a productive meeting and they are very pleased to be in Guyana to discuss the challenges which the two countries  face in relation to health in general and that of migrants and mobile populations in particular.
Dr. Blokland further stated that their concern is with reaching individuals with healthcare, including extending to those migrants living and working in their country, many of whom make  considerable contributions to the economy.
According to him, the complex setting of the gold-mining areas and the lack of documentation of some of the migrants is making healthcare delivery not an easy task, and as such they have to be very innovative, an item which is on the agenda for discussion at the meeting.
The Suriname Health Minister said that he strongly believes that the two countries have many experiences worth sharing and he is hoping that by putting their heads together at this meeting they will identify options to strengthen their health systems and find solutions to reach all populations.
“In the past the focus has been on border health and particularly on control of infectious diseases that can cross borders. Nowadays we have broadened the agenda and share lessons learnt on our healthcare service delivery system and on strengthening the health workforce,” he asserted.
Dr. Blokland noted that the current development plan of the Government of the Republic of Suriname places emphasis on the establishment of a social security system, and general health insurance for all persons with the aim of achieving universal health coverage and guaranteeing that everyone can exercise their right of access to healthcare.
“At the same time we are strengthening our primary health care system. This, we know is the best way to improve equitable health and contain the high costs of specialist care. The primary health care system will need to be able to refer patients to secondary care,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, also making opening remarks, Guyana’s Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran noted that while Guyana and Suriname are the only two countries in the CARICOM Region with common borders and there has been a long-standing relationship, there has been very little official contact.
As such, Dr. Ramsaran said that this first high-level, cross-border meeting presents an opportune moment for the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries on an official level, as well as for strengthening the people-to-people relationship.
He expressed gratitude to all of the partnering and support agencies, including CARICOM, GIZ, PANCAP and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for supporting the activity and realising its potential.
Dr. Ramsaran assured that his ministry will continue to work with the partnering agencies to expand the activities between Guyana and Suriname to facilitate more exchanges on a people-to-people level.
According to him, this meeting between the two countries will also help to further unite the people in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and promote south-south cooperation, while at the same time making a stronger platform for the fight against diseases that can be transborder, especially with migrant populations.
He expressed the hope that in the near future similar activities will take place with French Guiana and Brazil, and indicated that Trinidad and Tobago’s chief medical officer has also expressed an interest.
Dr. Ramsaran said that at the end of the meeting he is expecting that there will be concrete steps on how they will move forward in their collaboration, such as the promotion of the exchange of academic staff.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also addressed the opening of the meeting, commending the focus being placed on the cross-border relationship between Guyana and Suriname. He observed that officials from each country will get to know each other as well as get to know the medical systems in each other’s countries.
Hinds stressed the importance of health and spoke about the unofficial movement of the people of Guyana and Suriname and the need to cement relations between the two countries.
He also pointed out that Guyana can learn a lot from Suriname, since that country has a longer history of university life and a medical school.
This bi-national meeting originated from a bid by the Ministries of Health in Suriname and Guyana, and the recommendations of two consultancies completed under the PANCAP/GIZ/EPOS Migrant Project.
In addition to discussing issues related to HIV/AIDS, participants will also deliberate on health and wellness issues such as neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, the second day of the meeting, today, will be held in Skeldon, Berbice and includes discussions and presentations on population health issues including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and Guyana’s cancer registry.