Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment – The 14th Caribbean Conference on National Health Financing Initiatives was officially launched today (October 19, 2022) with an opening ceremony at the Royalton Hotel Antigua.

The three-day conference which is taking place from October 19-21, in Antigua and Barbuda is being held as a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS), the University of the West Indies Centre for Health Economics and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

Health financing and related design will be the focus of the conference in addition to the management and policy-making matters.

The main objective is to enhance professional and institutional capacity to develop and implement practical solutions for efficient, sustainable health financing in the Caribbean.

Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, the honourable Sir Molwyn Joseph was the featured speaker during the opening ceremony. Sir Molwyn focused his presentation on lessons learnt from managing public health as well as the economic and political challenges.

The Health Minister also stressed the importance of Universal Health Care in Antigua and Barbuda and the benefits this will have for the citizens and residents without being a financial burden.

The conference is being held under the theme: Confronting the Financing Challenges of COVID-19 and the Unfinished Universal Health Coverage Agenda.