“We look to the leadership of the Regional Nursing Body to provide the strategic guidance on how the Region can advance and expand the nursing and midwifery professions to support the achievement of universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.” – Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat
Please read her remarks below:
Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, on Tuesday made remarks at the opening of the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Regional Nursing Body (RNB) in Bridgetown, Barbados.
- Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, Minister of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Honourable Davidson Ishmael, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Mr. Wayne Marshall, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados
- Chief Nursing Officers
- Ms Piedad Huerta, Subregional Program Director, Caribbean, Ad Interim, Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation
- Delegates and other special invitees
Good morning and welcome to the Fifty-second Annual General Meeting of the Regional Nursing Body. The work of the Regional Nursing Body remains a critical part of addressing priority issues related to the education, practice, and regulation of nurses and midwives in the Caribbean region. Your leadership has been pivotal to the harmonisation of the provision of nursing and midwifery services throughout the region and serves to ensure the quality of care they provide. By being here today, you affirm your dedication to the ongoing work needed to tackle vital health challenges and priority concerns throughout the region.
It is important to note that the need for nursing and midwifery professionals is expected to increase, driven by the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases, the rising importance of mental health services, and the persistent challenges posed by both emerging and endemic communicable diseases. This urgency is further amplified by the multifaceted impacts of climate change, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and the demographic pressures of an aging population, all of which collectively heighten the complexity of health service needs across the Region.
However, the Caribbean region continues to face a critical shortage of these categories of indispensable health professionals. In fact, according to the ‘State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025’, one in seven nurses globally were practising outside of the country of their birth, underscoring a growing dependence on foreign-born nurses within high-income countries. This dynamic poses significant challenges to the development and sustainability of health systems in low- and middle-income countries like those within our Region. Accordingly, it is imperative that the region substantially increase its investments in the education, recruitment, and retention of nurses and midwives to safeguard the resilience and effectiveness of our health workforce.
Therefore, we look to the leadership of the Regional Nursing Body to provide the strategic guidance on how the Region can advance and expand the nursing and midwifery professions to support the achievement of universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Secretariat wishes to express profound thanks to the Government of Barbados for hosting the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the RNB. We also want to commend the coordinating teams in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the CARICOM Secretariat for their tireless efforts to make this meeting a reality. Thanks are also extended to the associations, institutions, and development partners, including PAHO/WHO, for their continued support to our Member States. Last but not least, thanks to the Chief Nursing Officers and Nursing Councils of our Member States and Associate Members. Your active participation will be vital for the success of this meeting and instrumental in shaping nursing and midwifery policies and initiatives to advance the nursing profession and improve health outcomes across the region.
I wish you fruitful deliberation throughout the course of this meeting.
Thank you!
