Foreign Minister Condor urges world body to invest in vital human-capital and decrease diseases

United Nations photo of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs speaking at the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday evening.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, SEPTEMBER 25TH 2011 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis is committed to working diligently at the National and Regional level and to collaborate internationally to improve the lives of the people of the twin-island Federation.

“St. Kitts and Nevis is a relatively small country and it is usually the small and vulnerable that is most severely impacted when global shocks and crises occur. That is why as a region, we promote collective action to enhance our resilience, promote human security, lessen our vulnerability and build stronger economies. Such has been widely acclaimed best practice approach, with regard to HIV/AIDS,” said St. Kitts and Nevis’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Sam Condor.

He told the 66th General Assembly of the United Nations that St. Kitts and Nevis applauds the General Assembly for convening the High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.

“UNAIDS has collaborated with the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP); in keeping with its commitment to support countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals; and also in ensuring that HIV Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support services are provided to ail in need. The agenda is still a full one; and the challenge, no less daunting than it was ten years ago, in a region with the second highest global prevalence rate of HIV. We thus anticipate and encourage the continued support of UNAIDS and other Health and Development agencies,” said Minister Condor.

With regard to Non-Communicable diseases, Mr. Condor said that the Caribbean can be justly proud
that the initiatives in the Port of Spain Declaration (2007): Uniting to stop the epidemic of chronic NCDs, which arose out of the first-ever Heads of Government Summit on NCDs, has resonated across the globe, resulting in the just concluded UN High Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs with a consensus to launch an International Wellness revolution.

“Non Communicable Diseases are to a large extent preventable. Hence it is essential that the outcome-document from the UN High Level Meeting, mirrors many of the chief concerns of the Port of Spain Declaration, aimed at encouraging governments and the private sector to collaborate on increasing avenues, for exercise, healthy diets and smoke free zones for the benefit of the general public,” said Foreign Minister Condor.

He said that the long term reduction in the enormous costs of treatment of heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and the resulting 60-70 percent mortality rates from NCDs, are worth the investment in protecting vital human- capital and the development of the various Regions.