Writing in the Solomon Times Online today, Samson Sade wrote about how Prime Minister, the Hon. Manesseh Sogavare, had stressed, in current difficult circumstances in the country the vital need to protect the high risk and vulnerable population groups while sustaining their economic livelihood.
22 February 2022
I will quote and share Samson’s piece.
To mitigate and manage the economic losses brought about by the spread of the Coronavirus into our communities, the Policy, Implementation and Evaluation Unit has put together a Community Transmission Response Policy Paper.
This was revealed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare during his nationwide address on Friday 18th February, 2022 over the national broadcaster.
The paper provides for the overarching objectives to map the way forward during this trying time.
Mr. Sogavare said that the policy paper contains several strategies which will spearhead the country’s general policy approach in dealing with the Covid-19 community transmission.
“It provides guidance to support the implementation of high-level strategic objectives that will compliment overarching priorities and establish the basis on which National and Health Response Plans can be aligned to target cross-sectoral outcomes that will also be reflected in the 2022 budget strategy,” the PM emphasized.
Mr. Sogavare stressed that the primary objective is to manage the community transmission of Covid-19 while protecting the high risk and vulnerable population whilst simultaneously sustaining the economic livelihood of the people of Solomon Islands.
He mentioned that the objective can be achieved via the implementation of a set of combined strategies that can be aligned with policy objectives and economic priorities.
“Rather than focusing on just minimizing the spread of the virus in the communities given the speed at which transmission has occurred within Honiara, objectives need to focus on risk mitigation, controlling transmission, preventing deaths and generally aligning Covid-19 safe measures as has been done to malaria, dengue, diabetes amongst others,” he said.
The PM highlighted that a multi-pronged approach has been developed with a number of strategies focusing on health, economy, people and operations to address the adverse outcomes of Covid-19.
It also places strong emphasis on the control of peoples’ movement, distribution of protective preventative equipment (PPEs), enhanced testing capacity, vaccination roll out, and immediate improvement of necessary health facilities, prioritizing care for the vulnerable, support to businesses, reopening of international borders and above all, effective communication, coordination and preparedness for future waves of the virus.
End of Quote.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
