And in the wake of the alarmingly increasing number of traffic incidents, the government and PAHO have signed an agreement for technical cooperation in mental health and psychosocial care. This agreement will look at the post-crash care of victims and their families. It aims to assist them emotionally, psychologically, and financially. Today at the signing Dr. Noreen Jack, the PAHO/WHO Representative in Belize, explained more about the project.
Dr. Noreen Jack, PAHO/WHO Representative in Belize
"This particular cooperation is focussed on mental health and psychosocial support for victims of road crashes and their families. Road crashes account for a sizable number of death in Belize and in fact throughout the world and in addition to that people are left with disabilities and their families have to be cared for and so this particular grant focusses on that and so we hope as Pan American Health Organization together with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and other stakeholders in Belize to look at the situation of road crashes and what happens to people and their families after the road crashes and to train a number of healthcare workers as well as other frontline workers into the type of support that should be given to people immediately after the crash, but in long term, so that they can be restored to a better health, but their families can also cope with the situation."
PAHO will work closely with critical stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ministry of Human Development, Belize Emergency Response Team, Department of Transport, Police Traffic Unit, Municipal Traffic Department, public and private stakeholders, teachers and community members. The approach will also include gender sensitivity focusing on specific risks and vulnerabilities.
