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USAID Zika maternal and child survival program lauded

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Thanks to a meaningful partnership between the government of St. Lucia and the United States Government, St. Lucia has seen a reduction in Zika cases.

Addressing a close-out ceremony for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported, Zika Maternal and Child Survival Program, the US Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela, lauded the important health partnership, which has supported clinical and non-clinical Zika services.

The Ambassador told the audience, which included Permanent Secretary, Felix St Hill and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Merlene Fredericks, that Zika cases have decreased in St. Lucia due to work done to curb the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in several communities.

“The sudden decrease in cases, compared to the same period of April 2016, suggests that there has been a significant decrease to the risk of Zika infection in St. Lucia.”

The Ambassador also noted that tools, procedures, and systems have been developed to minimize the effects of Zika and ensure a strengthened response in the future.

The Zika Maternal and Child Survival Program began in 2018 with a focus on addressing existing challenges in the health system, towards improving the capacity of service providers and the care of infected newborns and babies. The project further improved the ability of health workers to provide therapeutic and psychosocial support to mothers and families affected by Zika. The revitalization of a support group for caregivers of children with development delays, such as those affected by Zika, was also among the project’s many successes.

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USAID’s overall support to St. Lucia commenced in September 2016, with a community engagement partnership guided by the St. Lucia Red Cross. USAID has continued to expand its support to regional and national public health institutions through targeted assistance. Central to the success of the Zika Maternal and Child Survival Program are the strong partnerships established with senior leadership of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, St. Lucia’s Child Development and Guidance Center, and the Caribbean Regional Midwives Association.

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]