GREAT BAY--A delegation of St. Maarten parliamentarians will visit the Caribbean Prevention Center, known in Papiamentu as Fundashon Prevenshon, in Curaçao on October 14, 2026, to examine how the organization operates its structured cancer screening and disease prevention programs.
President of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, who initiated the visit, said the objective is to gain a better understanding of how Curaçao has developed a coordinated system that brings together government institutions, healthcare providers and insurance organizations to facilitate screening, promote early detection and encourage public participation.
Wescot-Williams provided details of the planned visit during a CKAIR parliamentary committee meeting in preparation for the upcoming Tripartite parliamentary meeting between Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, scheduled for October 15.
She explained that Fundashon Prevenshon has established what she understands to be a highly structured screening system involving cooperation with several institutions, including the civil registry, medical practitioners and insurance-related organizations.
According to Wescot-Williams, the organization has developed arrangements that allow these institutions to work together in identifying, contacting and encouraging individuals to participate in screening programs, particularly women who may benefit from regular breast cancer screening.
The Parliament President said she is especially interested in understanding how these arrangements function in practice, including how responsibilities are divided among participating institutions, how individuals are encouraged to undergo testing, and what formal agreements are necessary to maintain an effective screening system.
An important aspect of the visit will be examining how the organization manages cooperation among institutions while respecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal health information.
Wescot-Williams pointed out that health information is inherently sensitive, making it important to understand how Fundashon Prevenshon has been able to establish working relationships with different agencies while maintaining a coordinated screening process.
The visit will also provide an opportunity for parliamentarians to learn about the administrative and organizational structures supporting the programs, including the involvement of healthcare professionals and insurance institutions in improving access to preventive services.
An Established Cancer Prevention System
The Caribbean Prevention Center was founded on December 23, 2008, through the initiative of Professor Dr. H.M. Pinedo and the late Lionel Capriles. Since its establishment, the foundation has worked in partnership with the Government of Curaçao, major local benefactors, businesses and other organizations to strengthen disease prevention and save lives through early detection and public health initiatives.
Over the years, Fundashon Prevenshon has successfully implemented population-based screening programs for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. These programs are designed to reach segments of the population who may benefit from regular screening, allowing for the detection of potential health problems before symptoms develop or diseases progress.
Rather than relying exclusively on individuals to seek screening independently, the population-based approach emphasizes organized outreach, coordination among institutions and systems intended to encourage eligible persons to participate.
This approach is particularly relevant to St. Maarten, where discussions about improving access to preventive healthcare and establishing more structured screening services have continued over the years.
The foundation has also expanded its work beyond cancer prevention through its most recent initiative, the Vita Screening Program, which focuses on preventing non-communicable diseases, commonly referred to as NCDs.
The Vita program places particular attention on conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which represent growing public health concerns. In addition to screening, participants are offered the opportunity to take part in a lifestyle intervention program designed to encourage healthier habits and reduce risk factors associated with chronic illness.
The program seeks to address the increasing number of new cases of diabetes and heart disease by combining preventive screening with education and lifestyle support.
Fundashon Prevenshon has also developed additional screening initiatives covering glaucoma, prostate conditions and other health concerns. However, these programs are awaiting the necessary funding and support from healthcare professionals before they can be made available to Curaçao's population.
The foundation's activities therefore extend beyond individual cancer screening services and reflect a broader approach to prevention, early intervention and public health education.
Parliamentary Interest in Curaçao's Screening Model
Wescot-Williams recalled that Parliament had previously recognized the value of examining Curaçao's approach to cancer prevention and screening. According to the Parliament President, a parliamentary motion, which she recalled being adopted around 2024, provided for a modest allocation to facilitate engagement with the prevention foundation and gain a better understanding of its operations.
The initiative was also connected to discussions within Parliament's Women's Caucus, where opportunities to learn from established screening programs and explore approaches relevant to St. Maarten had been considered.
Wescot-Williams explained that she subsequently established contact with the director of Fundashon Prevenshon to obtain information about the organization's work and explore the possibility of arranging a parliamentary visit.
Following these discussions, and through coordination with Parliament's Secretary General, Mr. Richardson, the organization indicated its willingness to receive a delegation from St. Maarten.
The visit was subsequently incorporated into the parliamentary delegation's schedule in Curaçao, where Wescot-Williams was already expected to be present for the installation ceremony of the new President of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.
During the committee meeting, members were asked whether they wished to participate in the October 14 visit. Following the explanation provided by Wescot-Williams, the parliamentarians traveling to Curaçao agreed to participate.
The timing of the visit is particularly relevant as it takes place during October, internationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when increased attention is directed toward early detection, screening accessibility and public education about breast health.
Learning From Curaçao's Experience
For St. Maarten, the visit presents an opportunity to examine how another Caribbean country within the Dutch Kingdom has organized preventive healthcare services through cooperation among public institutions, healthcare professionals, insurance organizations and community stakeholders.
One of the central areas of interest is the practical coordination required to operate population-based screening programs, including the agreements and administrative systems that support outreach, participation and follow-up.
The delegation is also expected to gain insight into how Fundashon Prevenshon has built and maintained partnerships over the years and how these relationships contribute to the continuity of its screening programs.
The experience could provide useful information for future parliamentary discussions on cancer prevention, access to screening services and opportunities to strengthen preventive healthcare coordination on St. Maarten.
The parliamentary visit will take place at the foundation's headquarters in Otrobanda, one of Curaçao's historic districts. The organization operates from a national heritage monument that previously served as a police station and has since been transformed into a center for preventive healthcare. The building, recognizable by its aquamarine exterior, now serves as the home of several of the island's organized screening and prevention initiatives.
As Wescot-Williams explained, the purpose of the visit is to understand how the foundation's collaboration with various institutions has been organized, what agreements are in place and how the system functions in practice.
The visit will take place one day before the October 15 Tripartite parliamentary meeting in Curaçao, where representatives of the parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten will discuss matters of common interest within the Kingdom.
