Press Release – Belize Press Office
Belize attends first meeting of Council of Ministers of Health of Mesoamerica
Belmopan. March 5th, 2012. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Allen attended the first meeting of the Council of Ministers of Health of Mesoamerica (SMSP) held last week, in Mexico City, Mexico.
At its first Board Room meeting, Secretary of Health of Mexico, Solomon Chertorivski Woldenberg announced that a human development component has been formed within the project entitled the Mesoamerican Public Health System (SMPS).
This component specifically seeks to improve health conditions for greater development and social welfare in the region. It aims to address and develop successful strategies to strengthen issues of common interest in regional public health such as dengue, maternal health and child immunization. Woldenberg emphasized that the system is a strong forum in which joint solutions will be encouraged for the most pressing needs in this area in the region.
The Mesoamerican Public Health System (SMSP) is composed of the holders of the branches of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Peru, Nicaragua and Mexico, as well as the U.S. Agency for Comprehensive Cooperation and Development Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
At the meeting, Arturo Bendaña Pinel, Secretary of Health of Honduras was appointed as its first president pro tempore for a period of six months. This appointment will strengthen the regional work undertaken by the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and Dominican Republic (COMISCA) in which Honduras also currently holds the Presidency pro tempore of that body.
Belize and El Salvador also became the first countries to sign a grant agreement under the Mesoamerica Project with the first installment of US$ 750,000.00 now available to the Ministry of Health of Belize.
The meeting was attended by representatives of each of the agencies and member countries of COMISCA, the Director General of the Mesoamerica Project, Arturo Barrio, the Executive Secretary COMISCA, Rolando Hernandez Argueta and the Representative of PAHO / WHO in Mexico.
The Council of Ministers of the Mesoamerican Public Health System (SMSP) was officially established on December 2, 2011, in San Salvador, as part of the XXXV Regular Meeting of Health Ministers of Central America and Dominican Republic (COMISCA).
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