GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries are to benefit from a new plan approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for new health emergency programmes, globally.

Caribbean health ministers were among delegates at the WHO meeting here and according to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the programme adds operational capabilities for outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies that are complemented by the traditional technical and normative roles of the organisation.

“The new programme is designed to deliver rapid, predictable and comprehensive support to countries and communities as they prepare for, face, or recover from emergencies caused by any type of hazard to the human health, whether disease outbreaks, natural or man-made disasters or conflicts,” PAHO said.

The objective is to combine management of responses to natural disasters, humanitarian disasters, and complex epidemic outbreaks, PAHO said.

It said in order to fulfill these new responsibilities, delegates agreed on a US$494-million budget for the programme for 2016-2017.

This is an increase of US$160 million in the existing programme budget for WHO’s work in emergencies, PAHO said, noting that the delegates welcomed the progress that WHO has made in developing the new Health Emergencies Programme.