 The government of St. Lucia has begun taking steps towards achieving universal health coverage UHC with the aim of improving health systems and ensuring that affordable and quality health case provided to St. Lucia. A committee comprising professionals within the Ministry of Health and professionals within the public sector met recently in a consultation focused on the development of a roadmap to outline the strategic direction of universal health coverage in St. Lucia. Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs Jenny Daniel says this consultation will provide the opportunity for participants to develop a white paper which will shape the plan for implementation of universal health coverage. The white paper basically speaks to the policy, the major overriding and overarching policy that will determine how UHC is to be implemented in St. Lucia as in what is our starting point and where is the vision where we would like to, the place we would like to get to in terms of the provision of our health service and the impact it would have on St. Lucia. So the white paper is basically a structured document that would outline what our goals and objectives and vision are for UHC and how exactly we expect to get there. It will also touch on the funding or the financing of the initiatives and the project and exactly where we will be and giving a proper timeframe for it as well. Jenny Daniel also highlighted that in the coming weeks a series of consultations will be undertaken with the private sector, non-governmental organisations, NGOs and client group stakeholders. Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, the Honourable Mosey Jabatis spoke on his government's commitment to improve health service coverage for the St. Lucia population. We have also taken the recommendation of the Ministry that we create a specific unit for the universal healthcare programme and we have created that unit. We are now, we are currently looking to staff that unit and to ensure that we have focused attention on universal healthcare. We believe it's very important for the people of St. Lucia when we look at our disease profile and the challenges we have in healthcare and also when we look at the cost of healthcare. We know that the people of St. Lucia require that kind of assistance. Cabinet has approved the first phase of the implementation of universal health coverage which will commence with the performance-based financing components. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, I am Fennel Neptune.