The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour in collaboration with the St. Maarten AIDS Foundation, the International Organization of Migrants (IOM), The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) are conducting training sessions addressing Stigma, Discrimination, Human Rights and Cultural Sensitivity related to Health and Migration.
These workshops will commence as early as Monday July 14th and will continue throughout the month of August.
“It is important that we continue to put people first by having them well equipped with the knowledge needed to carry out their jobs,” said Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever.
Various Healthcare providers, law enforcement officers, border controllers, educators, social groups hailing from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) as well as Government Organizations (GO’s) are included in these trainings.
The objectives of this training are to:
1. Improve services offered to vulnerable populations
2. Improve cultural sensitivity to health and migration on St. Maarten
Invited organizations and frontline workers are encouraged to attend these important sessions as they equip workers who are in contact with migrants on a regular basis, how to address challenges and situations that one might encounter when dealing with the issue of migrations and its target groups.
Through this training the Ministry and its collaborators aims to positively impact public and private facilities offering health and other services to migrants, in the hope to provide all concern parties with better understanding of the social cultural environment that influences migrants and as such strive to improve on communications between stakeholders where it particularly pertains to accessibility of services by the targeted population.
As such, addressing the health situation of the entire population will improve. This does not apply only to the long term health situation of the St. Maarten population, but it can reduce health care costs, social costs, transmission of communicable diseases including HIV and protect Public Health in general, while facilitating integration and contributing to social and economic development.
By means of this training we are able to enhance the accessibility and the quality of HIV prevention, care and treatment services.
The training is a regional initiative from the IOM, using a globally developed training manual that was adapted to meet Caribbean specific. The training is being implemented throughout the Caribbean region and as such St. Maarten benefits by promoting equitable access to health promotion and health care but also guarantees the best institutional practices that would avoid stigma and discrimination in accordance with International Human Rights, that we have to adhere to.
For individual registration and information, please contact Ria Uiterloo from the St. Maarten AIDS Foundation or Aida Holaman, Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs at tel. nrs. 542 1122 or 542 9925