Minister Brug announces concrete Four-Country agreements to strengthen public health and crisis preparedness across the Kingdom

The Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Richinel Brug, confirms that the agreements signed during the Four-Country Public Health Consultation will bring clear and immediate advantages to Sint Maarten.

Key benefits for Sint Maarten include amongst others:

Stronger Preparedness for Outbreaks and Disasters

Sint Maarten will benefit from strengthened collaboration through the Dutch Caribbean Public Health Expertise Network (DuCaPHEN), including upgraded surveillance tools, improved support on island, and more coordinated Kingdom-wide crisis and hurricane response protocols.

Modernization of Involuntary Care Legislation

The countries agreed on a shared framework to modernize and update involuntary care legislation across the Kingdom. This ensures clearer, safer, and more consistent procedures for individuals requiring urgent psychiatric intervention, improving continuity, and safeguarding patient rights.

Boost to Prevention and Community Well-Being

Agreements to scale up prevention, particularly for non-communicable diseases, as well as to reinforce community-based health promotion will support Sint Maarten’s ongoing efforts to strengthen healthy lifestyles and reduce preventable illness.

Minister Brug stated:

“These agreements deliver tangible improvements for Sint Maarten. From better crisis readiness to clearer involuntary care procedures and stronger prevention programs, we are taking important steps to safeguard the health of our community.”

The countries also made use of the opportunity to participate in bilateral discussions, where collaboration between counties were identified and will be further explored.

The Minister expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Health for ensuring Sint Maarten’s priorities were strongly represented throughout the consultation.

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