Page 91 - AHATA

During his visit, Dr Tedros met with the Governor-General, Minister of Health and other
government officials and commended their preparedness, readiness and efforts to mitigate the
damage caused by the hurricane.

The visit included stops in Abaco and Grand Bahama islands where most households and
infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, were completely destroyed. Dr Tedros was
accompanied by Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands. Hurricane Dorian hit the country on 1
September 2019, affecting 75 000 people. About 1500 people are still being housed in shelters;
about 600 are still missing; and 53 are confirmed dead.

The health sector in Abaco and Grand Bahama suffered a substantial blow, with equipment and
medical supplies destroyed and electrical and water supplies interrupted. In Grand Bahama

three health clinics have been destroyed and two in Abaco.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), which is the specialized health agency of the
Inter-American System and serves as the Regional Office of WHO for the Americas, is the only

United Nations agency with a physical presence in the Bahamas. PAHO-WHO has deployed 20
staff members and coordinated the mobilization of 7 International Emergency Medical Teams
for the response. Dr Tedros thanked the teams for their rapid response and tireless service to
the most vulnerable.

WHO has mobilized USD 1 million from the Contingency Fund for the hurricane response. Dr
Tedros reiterated WHO’s commitment to support the government and people of the Bahamas

for the recovery of the health system.

Globally, WHO will continue to work with Member States to make the health sector more
resilient and to mitigate the effects of climate change, especially in Small Islands Developing

States that are in greatest jeopardy despite contributing the least to the problem. Last week at
the Climate Action Summit in New York, WHO called on countries to commit to cut carbon
emissions, clean our air, save lives, and significantly scale up investment in proven
interventions for climate-resilient health systems.

http://www.awe24.com/20190929/37405/WHO_Director-
General_visits_devastated_sites_in_the_Bahamas_to_assess_health