Photo: ©dmosreg/123rf

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Agence Française de Développement (the French Development Agency or AFD) signed an agreement on Monday 24 January 2022, to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the 26 CARPHA Member States by improving the resilience of health systems in the Region.

In many emerging countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected the health, education and economic sectors, which are fundamental pillars of development.

This crisis has highlighted the critical role of digital services to allow people to stay connected with their public health partners, educational institutions and essential businesses.

In consultation with the Organization of African, Pacific and Caribbean States (OACPS), the European Union (EU) is funding the DIRECCT (Digital REsponse Connecting CiTizens) programme in more than 55 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in the health, education and small business sectors to enable them to cope with current and future shocks.

St Lucia Times