CIBC FirstCaribbean has pledged a further

US$1 million for phase II of the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI) which focuses

on the improvement of outcomes and quality of life for children with cancer and

other blood disorders across the region.

 The regional bank signed another

Memorandum of Understanding with SickKids Foundation of Canada, which

underwrites the regional effort to provide support for additional specialised

nurse training, as well as for research and advocacy over a five-year period.

In 2013, with the support of SickKids Foundation, the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI), a not-for-profit partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI), Ministries of Health, hospitals and institutions in six Caribbean countries, and the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, was established. This partnership focuses on building sustainable local capacity to diagnose, treat, and manage paediatric cancers and blood disorders.

CIBC FirstCaribbean joined the effort,

pledging US$1 million over a seven-year period (2014 to 2020) through its

charitable arm, FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation. As nurse

training partner, the bank supported the development of a Paediatric

Haematology/Oncology Nursing Education programme at the University of the West

Indies School of Nursing (UWISoN), Trinidad and Tobago. The programme aims to

build nursing capacity in the Caribbean by developing highly-skilled clinical

nurses and leaders who advocate for patients and their families, conduct

quality improvement initiatives, and mentor other health care providers to deliver

safe and effective paediatric care.

Chief

Executive Officer of CIBC FirstCaribbean, Colette Delaney, said that the bank’s

support for the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative is significant.

“We are confident that phase II will build on those

gains as we train more nurses, doctors and other medical professionals and

facilitate research to support policy recommendations and advocacy,” said Delaney,

who is also the chair of the FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation.