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~ 'Diseases don't stop at the border' ~

CONCORDIA--Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin health officials launched a regional Health Observatory on Friday and announced plans to embark on a joint public health study to assess the health situation amongst the population on both sides of the island.

Some work has already begun under the Health Observatory, which is based initially at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital in French St. Martin. The entire project will cost 1,184,095 million euros. The St. Maarten government will cover 25 per cent of the cost and French St. Martin 75 per cent via Interreg Caraibes.

Health Minister Cornelius de Weever (St. Maarten) and Second Vice President of the Collectivité of St. Martin in charge of Social Affairs Ramona Thomas signed an agreement for the health initiatives at the end of the launch ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce of St. Martin in Concordia.

The study is expected to start late in September or early October and will run for about a year and a half, Ministry of Health of St. Maarten official Fenna Arnell told reporters at a press conference at the end of the launch.

In giving an insight into the initiative, Dr. Monique Rakotomalala said the primary objective of the project is to conduct a study on public health on the island and establish a regional observatory for the island.

She said St. Maarten is one of the smallest islands around and it is divided into two sovereign states. She said the island's population of about 100,000 persons is very diverse with over 90 different nationalities, some 30 per cent of whom are immigrants. The diversity of the island is an important factor in the study and the various aspects of this diversity will be taken into consideration for the study and during the analysis of the data.

The findings will be available for authorities on both sides of the island to better plan policies tailored to the island's unique situation.

Rakotomalala said conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity are prevalent on the island. The constitutional changes on both sides of the island mean that both sides have additional responsibilities in public health. "Diseases don't stop at the border so we have to consider the issues in health," she told guests, adding that the current barriers that exist have to be removed.

The first aspect of the policy will be to identify common areas and differences and establish an assessment. The second aspect of the study will be to identify public health policies on health and adapt them to the current situation.

"This will be the role that the observatory will play," Rakotomalala said. "Cooperation is necessary."

The goals of the health observatory will be to harmonise strategies for health on the island, evaluate the lifestyle of residents and their behaviours related risks and preventative practices and how the population relates to these. "The health observatory will help with a better understanding of health on the island," she said noting that it will help to gather data on health risks and on vulnerable groups in society such as seniors, women and immigrants and evaluate how easy it was for these groups to access health care.

The initiative will also allow for the exchange of data in areas such as mental health. A number of stakeholders in health from both sides of the island are participating in the initiative.

In brief remarks, De Weever said it makes sense to work with the French side on such a project. He said the island is small and a clear picture of the health situation is needed. He listed several areas of cooperation between the Dutch and French side that have been executed in the past.

Also speaking at the ceremony were Director of the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital (a technical partner in the project) Roland Toussaint, Territorial Counsellor Louis Fleming and Connor.