 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am Genelle Norville bringing you this brief on the pulse of our nation and highlights around the heart of St Lucia. A high level delegation leaves the island to participate in the annual IMF World Bank meetings. Government provides the necessary support to help farmers recover from tropical storm Kirk. St Lucia and South Korea confirm commitments between the states. And the month-long discovery of the St Lucia identity. The government of St Lucia will be looking to secure financial and technical support for its development programs when it participates in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund IMF and the World Bank Group. The meetings taking place this month follow a vote by the boards of governors of the two institutions. The annual meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives of civil society, media and academics to discuss issues of global concern. These include the world economic outlook, global financial stability, poverty, eradication, jobs and growth, economic development, aid effectiveness and climate change. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development Philip Dal Sous says the meeting will provide an avenue for St Lucia to seek various developmental opportunities. There will be an opportunity to meet with other agencies to discuss possible project proposals and that we can present to these agencies like the Kuwaiti Fund, the United Arab Emirates and others. So the meeting itself will be an opportunity for us to hear about some of the latest developments, one in terms of what is the future looking like in terms of growth rates. So we'll get the forecast from the IMF in terms of indicating what forecast they have for the world economy in 2019-20, what are some of the risks that have been presented. We'd also be hearing from the World Bank itself on some of the more topical issues and I'm sure disaster resilience will come up again. Approximately 15,000 to 18,000 delegates are expected to attend the meeting in 2018. The main topics of discussion center around global economic issues. St Lucia will be represented by Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shastney, Minister for Economic Development Guy Joseph, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Development Philip Dal Sous and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Kointhia Thomas. Dal Sous highlights some of the areas of priority for the Government of St Lucia going into the meeting. St Lucia is also looking at how it can fund some of its infrastructural requirements from concessional funding because that's at low interest rates and long grace periods for repayment. There are issues that we face in many different sectors, infrastructure, the roads, the schools and these are some of the big issues. The Government has indicated there are six priority areas that they would want to look at in terms of moving forward. These are not exclusively but the major areas are priority, health, education, crime, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure. So all of these areas are areas that are topical issues for the Government. The Prime Minister has spoken many times about the need for Castery's redevelopment, looking at that. The North-South Link Road which is an alternative route from moving away from passing for the Badliel and getting up to North from the South. So these are some of the big projects that have been mentioned that we would like to discuss with some of those agencies. The meeting will be held from the 12th to the 14th of October 2018 in Bali Nusso Dua Indonesia. Meanwhile chronic non-communicable diseases and CDs among the St Lucia population is a recurring issue for the Ministry of Health and Wellness. With US $20 million in funding from the World Bank, the Ministry hopes to complement its existing NCDs policy. St Lucia has seen a consistently high rate of diabetes per capita ratio in its population since 2007. Interventions by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to curb this trend is taking a new turn thanks to the World Bank. Though the first component of the project is aimed at strengthening and improving public primary health care services and facilities to treat NCDs, preventative measures will be incorporated into the implementation. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Felix St. Hill, noted that NCDs are treated and avoided through lifestyle management. We must be mindful that once persons have acquired the non-communicable disease then you have to treat because the whole issue is increasing their productive capacity within the national economy. But then the avoidance of you catching those diseases, we're going to put much emphasis. So again, with the World Bank project, we're hoping that health promotion, health education, that these services are distributed evenly throughout. So that people are reassured through our nutritional services, our dietary services, that they are informed of probably the best lifestyle that they should keep. St. Hill notes that non-communicable diseases can be prevented by making better lifestyle choices like reducing the amount of alcohol consumed and eating well. At present, these types of ailments are costly and are treated outside of the primary health sector. St. Hill hopes this new project will reduce the number of patients in the health care system and reduce the cost of treatment for NCDs. With especially the non-communicable diseases, which we think that it is really affected by people's lifestyles and can be avoided. So it means that if you can take care of this at the primary level, then you would avoid the secondary and tertiary treatment. In fact, the premier health facilities which we have developed recently, we really wanted to almost serve as a referral system. That this is not your first part of call. The project will focus on three components, improving service delivery through a sustainable benefits package, strengthening responsiveness of public health systems to address non-communicable diseases and managing public health emergencies. From the Government Information Service, I am Alicia Alley. Stakeholders in the agriculture sector met with Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shasny and Minister for Agriculture the Honourable Izikal Joseph to review the status of the sector post-Tropical Storm Kirk. While the outlook of the situation is gloomy, industry players are optimistic about the future, especially with news that the government is exploring supplementary markets. Farmers are backing their fields working towards restoring production. When Tropical Storm Kirk unleashed on St. Lucian the evening of Thursday, September 27, 2018, the winds and rains were relentless. At first light the following day, the evidence of the storm's brutality came into focus. Damage was widespread in the agriculture sector, particularly the banana industry. Final assessment figures show that 80% of banana fields in the north of the island were destroyed, with 65% sustaining damage in the south. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Cooperatives, the Honourable Izikal Joseph says it is a significant loss. Noted that the impact is worse than 2016's Tropical Storm Matthew. In 2016 we blew Bronx back with some fertiliser, proper drainage. But this time it's a whole question of replanting in some cases, chopping back because based on information I receive it's about 60% snapping out of the 80%. So if that is the case and if that information is correct, it's a matter of in the next four or five months we should be back in production. So what is it that we're going to do within the time? How are we going to engage windfresh? Because we won't appreciate coming back in the next four or five months. They must be at market there. They must be at market there. Storm damage has once again set back exports to the European market. However, government is exploring an alternative. Prime Minister, the Honourable Adam Chastney, who attended the stakeholders briefing, announced that Morocco was a viable option. The Prime Minister will be leading a delegation to Morocco for the opening of the OACS High Commission. Honourable Chastney says he will use the opportunity to discuss the proposal. They're helping sponsor our castries market. But I'm also in discussions with them because when we were there the first time and we went on a tour, they're bringing in bananas right now from Ecuador. To see if we can get some kind of support from them because obviously the banana is already being in England. It would be very easy to get it from England to Morocco. Meantime on the ground, the Banana Productivity Improvement Project has determined the level of assistance and support farmers would require to bounce back. Kurt Severin is the project manager. We believe that there should be some support with fertilizer. We believe that there should be some support with re-habilitating the fields. We believe that there should be support with the Black Sea Cup. We believe that there should be support with that. There are still some major drains that need to be desiltered. I think we need to get some support. There are some roads which I visited yesterday in particular that need some attention. In addition to that, I believe we also need to...there are some infrastructure like sheds and so on. We also need to give some support. Insurance coverage for farmers is another pressing matter for stakeholders. Chairperson of the National Fair Trade, Dorothy Agand, revealed that efforts were near finalization when Tropical Storm Kirk struck. We were very far into that whole implementation of insurance for the banana farmers and premature. It happened just, I mean, we were virtually a couple of weeks away from implementation and that happened. Government will be providing fertilizers and other inputs to farmers as part of a support scheme. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has clarified the situation as it relates to hand, foot and mouth disease on island and has dismissed an audio recording circulating on social media claiming an outbreak of the disease. The community pediatrician in the Ministry of Health stated that a thorough investigation has been conducted into the matter with the findings indicating no outbreak of the disease but normal occurrences among a few susceptible children. The Ministry of Health was alerted to a recording circulating on social media claiming an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in one part of the island. The epidemiological unit launched an investigation into the matter with the results showing no proof of an outbreak of the disease. Community pediatrician Dr. Olu Ogolusi explained the results of the investigation. What we have, we have some few children in the preschool age group that have this illness. So it's not an outbreak, it's just a section on the island and a few children affected. She said hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness like the flu or other viral illnesses which are seasonal. This disease typically occurs during the month of September to December and mainly affects children below 10 years of age but is more common among children under 5 years old. Symptoms include rash on the hand, mouth and feet and sometimes the buttocks. And it usually may start with a fever, a low-grade fever and then two to three days after these rashes are noticed. And they just appear like apples and later may evolve to like a small blister with a red background. Usually it's not itchy but it could make the little children feel a little uncomfortable, a little bit irritable and because of the rashes and the mouth they may not want to eat. Though there is no specific antiviral drug or medication for this disease, she stressed that the public should have no fear of this illness as the human body naturally fights off the disease. But usually it's a self-limiting illness meaning that the doctor do not even have to treat it. The body will fight it off. Usually it does not last more than a week, seven days, some children may even recover a little earlier but because of the little discomfort it will come, it will cause, we advise the mothers if there is fever, you give fever medication like paracetamol, ibuprofen, you ensure the child is drinking, offer cold liquid food, something they can sit easily, avoid hot spicy food. The community pediatrician advised that if parents notice their child is not drinking or eating and seems dehydrated, they should take the child to the hospital for treatment and continued monitoring. I'll also advise that maybe within the period of the illness when the child is sick, not eating well, better to keep at home and monitor the child, keep at home from school, monitor the child and then to also prevent that child from passing it to another susceptible child in the school. For the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Glenn Simon reporting. This is Nation Beat on the other side of the break. St. Lucia and South Korea confirm commitments and activities celebrating pre-old heritage month get underway. When disaster strikes, pharmacies and polyclinics will be closed so you'll need to have a complete first aid kit on hand to be prepared to handle your child's medical emergencies. Plan for emergencies. Plan for your children. Welcome back. St. Lucia and South Korea have confirmed the commitments between the two states. Geraldine B. said Joseph tells us more. St. Lucia and South Korea have confirmed commitments between the two countries. The Governor General of St. Lucia, His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack, met with the new Ambassador Designate of the Republic of Korea to St. Lucia. His Excellency Sung Monyup, who presented his letters of credence. During the October 4th meeting, the Governor General conveyed a desire for peace between North and South Korea. The desire is that soon the Korean Peninsula will learn to dwell together in unity as every family should. And the world must have watched with joy and sadness. The tearful demonstration of that longing for improvements in relations when it was recently made possible for one brother to embrace the other, having so long parted. We pray that this be a beginning of the end to all hostilities. Ambassador Monyup similarly expressed his country's desire for peace and global security and acknowledged the close ties between St. Lucia and South Korea. At the global stage, our two countries have been enjoying a close partnership on the various international problems such as the United Nations by rendering mutual support. I hope such traditions continue in the years to come. In addition to sharing our commitment to global peace and security, I look forward to St. Lucia's continuing support for a positive transition of the situation in Korean Peninsula toward the nuclearization and establishment of a lasting peace. Ambassador Monyup added that as his tenure begins, he hopes to strengthen bilateral relations between South Korea and St. Lucia. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1979 and will commemorate the 40th anniversary of relations in 2019. St. Lucia and South Korea have most recently cooperated on natural disaster response and climate change adaptation. For the Government Information Service, I am Johnny B. Set-Joseph reporting. Activities celebrating the St. Lucia culture and heritage have begun with organisers excited about the changes made to the calendar. Anisia Antoine has more. The Soma Soolei Festival will be culminating with the celebration of St. Lucia's Arts and Heritage Month. The month-long festival highlights the richness and diversity of St. Lucia's cultural, ethnic and artistic heritage. The official opening ceremony took place on Sunday the 30th of September at the Kraft Festival in Chwazel. The Executive Director of the Folk Research Centre expressed his satisfaction with the first event, the cultural icon series, indicating that there is more to come. The next activity will be on the 14th of this month, Sunday the 14th, where we will be holding a Oulila Bar Local Cricket Festival at the Marsha Plain Field. That is in collaboration with the Marsha Ground Development Committee. And apart from that Oulila Bar Local Cricket, there will be other activities including vending of local food and beverages. There will also be stage performances by local groups. And the activity starts at 9.30pm and goes on up to body 11 o'clock in the evening. The line of activities continues with the La Marguerite Festival to be held on October 17th, followed by the launching of the New Folk Museum at the house of the late César Descartes on October 21st. The festivities will conclude on the 28th of October with the International Creole Day, Juniquial International. The host communities for this year are Souffre, Chwazel, Belby, Viewfort, Monripo and Marsha. In the past, for the past 53 years, we have been selecting four host communities to celebrate Juniquial. And what we advise them is that as part of the celebration, they must have exhibitions, crude exhibitions as well as crude technologies. But most of the communities tend to concentrate more on the vending of food and entertainment. And we are afraid that we are losing that focus, that initial idea of educating our people, using the opportunity to educate our people. And so this time, the FHRC has taken the mantle and decided to have what we envisage as a Juniquial. The theme for this year's International Creole Day is Dekuwe Cetli Si, Dekuwe Kau. Discover St Lucia, Discover Yourself. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. The recently launched after-school program is an initiative of the Government of St Lucia and will be implemented by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports through the National Launches Authority. According to government officials, the after-school program seeks to fill the critical time period between 3 and 6 pm when children are out of school but parents may still be at work. The purpose is to ensure children are engaged in meaningful activities during this period and may have a positive impact on their academic performance, attitudes and behaviours. Minister for Youth Development and Sports, the Honourable Edmund Estefan, indicated that the pilot program was implemented in August 2018 and the second phase of the project is to begin in the first week of October. We are hoping that within the shortest possible time period, the program will move and will develop the whole island. This is our goal. So right now we are talking about 10 schools and maybe very soon in the near future we will be able to do this island-wide. I am overjoyed to see that the program will also see some economic benefits trickled down to the communities. Imagine we will be employing around 40 coaches and lifetime facilitators. 10 caterers, janitors and so on. So employment will be created in the different communities. The chair of the executive committee of the after-school program indicated that in today's world the need for additional support, especially within the communities, is undeniable. We recognize the need to develop well-rounded individuals and therefore emphasis was placed on ensuring the provision of quality instruction and supervision in a structured environment where our youth could learn to be, learn to do, learn to live together and most importantly learn to learn. A management committee consisting of a program manager, two zonal coordinators, a facility supervisor and a clinical supervisor was put in place to directly oversee the program and to ensure its integrity. 30 coaches and 10 life school facilitators were also employed with all staff being put through a rigorous interview process to ensure that only the best professionals available will be interacting with our students. Very important because it doesn't matter what is done at the executive level, at the management level, if on the ground the quality of instruction is not being delivered by the coaches and facilitators, this will all be for nothing. The National Launches Authority thanked all stakeholders for their support and interest in the program. The chair of the board indicated that the program will target children as low as the age of 7 as it seeks to ensure that the upcoming generation is equipped with the tools required for a better future. The intervention is really intended to build and to mold rather than repair and the pillars that the intervention is built on is one, introducing the child's sports and physical activity so as to expose them to the psychological, social and health benefits of playing sports. Two, supporting the child's academic development by providing homework assistance, monitoring participants' progress and providing the appropriate interventions that will assist in maintaining the child's interest in school and acceptable academic achievement. Three, identifying indifferent and early deviant behavior in participants and channeling such words to the appropriate resources for corrective and remedial action. The after-school program was officially launched on Tuesday 2nd October 2018. Invest St. Lucia ISL announces the appointment of Verdwick Sherry as its chief executive officer CEO. Sherry brings to the post over 20 years of management and marketing experience, and served in previous roles with the National Insurance Property Development and Management Company and the St. Lucia National Conservation Fund. He also held the position of senior manager for marketing at East Caribbean Financial Holdings, ECFH. Referencing his most recent tenure at the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, SLHTA, Sherry remarked that he is looking forward to working with the team to ensure that ISL continues its trajectory to becoming one of the world's leading investment promotion agencies. Sherry underscored the importance of accountability and gave the assurance that ISL will be more consistent as it relates to disseminating information to the public via the media. That's Nation Beat. Join us next time as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Channel Novel.