Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 20, 2025

Programme launched to provide psychosocial support amid crises

Programme launched to provide psychosocial support amid crises

The Ministry of Health & Social Development has launched an initiative entitled ‘Bounce Back Stronger’ which will focus on strengthening the mental health and psychosocial support in the territory.

The programme was originally designed to deal with the mental impact caused by the 2017 hurricanes but later incorporated the impact from the COVID-19 virus.

Speaking at the launching ceremony recently, Minister for Health, Carvin Malone said the programme comes at a vital time with the BVI in the midst of an active hurricane season while battling against COVID-19.

“As we face another hurricane season, it is easy for us to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain. The BVI-PAHO mental health and psychosocial support project has recognized the need to provide mental health and psychosocial support and build resilience in the country not only for natural disasters, as initially planned, but also to develop capacities to alleviate the mental health impacts of COVID-19,” the minister stated.

“The project has developed and incorporated an adapted component specifically to address the mental health and psychosocial needs resulting from the pandemic. This component will include the training of diverse local stakeholders to support themselves and their communities in the face of any disaster we may face, be it a hurricane, COVID-19, or whatever may come,” he added.

COVID-19 incorporated into national disaster planning


Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health Dr Irad Potter said the ministry continues to integrate COVID-19 into the territory’s national disaster plans.

“The project has been adapted to allow for responses for COVID to be integrated into all of the capacity-building opportunities and therefore we have now adapted all of the training to be virtual,” he said.

He continued: “We have, to date, virtual focus groups and we have retooled and refashioned the communication campaigns that were developed after 2017 to incorporate responses for COVID.”

The programme is a joint venture between the BVI government and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and is being financed by the Caribbean Development Bank.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
×