Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Growth, Job Creation, External Affairs and the Public Service, Hon. Allen Chastanet, went before Parliament on Tuesday to seek approval for the Government of Saint Lucia to borrow USD$6 million from the International Development Association for the OECS Regional Health Project.

The project seeks to enhance the country’s capacity to adapt to and mitigate against the impact of climate change across the OECS region.

Prime Minister Chastanet said the request is in response to demand for financial support for the preparedness of public health emergencies expressed by Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The project consists of four components. Component three will cover institutional capacity, and building project management coordination; while component four covers the continued emergency response component (CERC) which aims to provide intermediate funding in the event of an emergency such as a disease outbreak.

In Saint Lucia, the regional project will be implemented through the established implementation unit, PIU, within the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which is currently implementing the 2018 approved Health Systems Strengthening Project.

The House of Assembly met on Tuesday, November 26.