With the Health Link 1 programme drawing to a close in December 2002, the Public Health and Social Services Department has commenced on Health link II, a new five year programme which Ivy Ellick, Chief Administrative Health and Social Services Officer described as: "different" and "bigger"

Health Link 1 dealt with recruiting doctors, short-term visiting consultants, biomedical scientific officers and nurse tutors and providing management support to the Head of Department. The Link also sponsored a training award for a senior member of staff which enabled her to successfully complete a diploma course in Public Administration. Health link II will include all of this and in addition, it will include training for health staff and purchasing specialist health equipment for the hospital. Overall the programme has to ensure that the people on the Island have access to and use appropriate, high-quality public health, medical and social services.

Most of the funding comes from the Department for International Development with the remainder coming from St Helena’s recurrent budget. This will bring a grand total of £5m, which will be spent over the next five years.

Ivy explained that the programme is based on the Department’s policy, which aspires to Europe’s goal of achieving full health potential for its entire people.

Over the next five years, the Department aims to promote and protect people’s health and welfare throughout the course of their lives, to reduce incidence of main diseases and injuries experienced in St Helena and to alleviate the suffering they cause, and to protect the social well being of vulnerable and at risk sections of the community.

"This programme will address the international development targets for health, but will also go wider to focus on the key health and social issues on the Island," said Ivy. She said that this includes a healthy lifestyle, health protection, management of chronic diseases and the quality of later life.

The programme is being managed by NICARE, the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services who works closely with the Public Health and Social Services Department.

Ivy said that Health Link has been running for the last 12 years and she considers it to have been a success.