On Wednesday, March 3, 2010 the Ministry of Health held a very historic press conference in which it launched over twenty new policies and guidelines aimed at improving the quality of healthcare in Belize.

Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, said that it was a proud day for him to see his technical team displaying the results of their hard work. Michelle Vanzie of the Policy and Planning Unit for the Ministry of Health made a presentation on the Health Systems Profile of Belize. She was followed by the Deputy

Epidemiologist Ethan Gough then introduced the National Communicable Disease Surveillance Manual and the Belize Food Borne Disease Surveillance Manual. Eufemia Waight presented on the Breastfeeding Manual for Health Workers, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis, Quality Improvement Activity for Maternal and Neonatal Care, Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Surveillance Guidelines. Minister Marin said that we have really improved in our prevention of the transmission of HIV from parent to child. Only one child was born HIV positive in 2009.

Other policies and guidelines launched include the Belize Drug Formulary and Therapeutics Manual introduced by the Chief Pharmacist, Sharon Anderson. There is also the Training Manual for the Surveillance of Dengue introduced by the Technical Advisor on Environmental Health, Dr. Jose Marenco. Biostatistician Englebert Emmanuel introduced the Births and Mortality Instruction Manual- Vital Registration in Belize MOU and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Eleanor Bennett introduced the Belize National Mental Health Policy.

Minister Marin said that too often the media, especially those with political agendas, focus on the rare negative occurrences at the public healthcare facilities. An example of that is the sensationalism with which infant mortality has been treated. While the truth is that Belize has one of the best infant mortality rates in Central America and the region; plus that status is improving. Instead, certain media houses target and push cameras in the face of every family who lost a child. While it is an insensitive statement to make, infant death is a natural occurrence. Hence the reason it has been tracked for years. When a family loses a child they don’t want to hear that Belize has one of the best infant mortality rates in the region. That is insensitive. However, what is more insensitive is using these families’ devastating experience to attract viewers to a newscast or to gain political mileage. One media house interviews every family who lost a child with a question written on their hands by their superiors: “Will you sue the Government?”.

The truth is that more people have confidence in the public health facilities than ever before. More Belizeans are becoming medical doctors and the Ministry has never been more efficient. Minister Marin said that his immediate goal is to improve the health services to rural areas of the country. He said that continuous improvement in the system is what drives him.