and public health protection. in closing, ladies and gentlemen, let me say that i have faith in the ability of the caribbean leadership to move beyond talk about the “ big conversation ” to actual action – seizing opportunities in the blue, green and silver economies. science and technology would, of course, be critical to successfully actioning these opportunities. success will also depend on putting in place sound policy frameworks and effective institutional arrangements. and, in some cases, it may require strong commitment and funding from the international community. i look forward to this inscited conference becoming a model platform for stimulating new thoughts and ideas on how science and technology can help contribute to generating more inclusive economic growth. i also look forward to further collaboration among the oas, nistads and niherst that will be of benefit to science, society and state. i thank you. bis central bankers ’ speeches

( gef ) and the climate investment funds ( cif ). here again, science and technology can help to leverage economic opportunities in the green economy. some areas are as follows : • devising engineering solutions such as sea defenses, hurricane resistant buildings and the provision of water storage ; • developing technological solutions such as using more resilient crops to protect critical biodiversity conservation ; • creating new incentive mechanisms such as payment for ecosystem services ; and • facilitating the transition to a low - carbon economy. the third frontier of growth opportunity relates to the “ silver economy. ” population ageing is a global phenomenon, which is having major implications on all aspects of human life in every society. this process is enduring and irreversible. in the caribbean, people are also living longer than ever before but not healthier. at the start of the 21st century, the elderly in the caribbean – persons 60 years or older – represented at least one - tenth of the population, larger than ever before in the history of the region. world bank research warns, however, that non - communicable diseases ( ncds ) are rising rapidly as the caribbean population ages. today, the four leading causes of death in the caribbean are all ncds – heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. in the caribbean, five times as many people are dying from ncds as from all other illnesses combined. in fact, these findings have spawned the creation of a rather interesting world bank blog entitled “ is bis central bankers ’ speeches fried chicken setting back development in the caribbean? ” alluding to the fact that unhealthy eating habits are a major risk factor for ncds. the expansion of ncds is increasing the economic burden on families and on already strained public health systems in the caribbean. in jamaica, for instance, an average individual suffering from ncds spends approximately one third of household income on healthcare services and medicine purchases. in the eastern caribbean, the annual cost for treating a diabetic is more than annual per capita spending for health care in the six countries of the eastern caribbean. again, there is a unique opportunity for scientists and economic policymakers to take advantage of the growth opportunities that arise from reducing the future burden of ncds, promoting healthy aging, and increasing the potential benefit from the demographic transition in the caribbean. and they must do it while ensuring that out - of - pocket health expenses do not inflict severe financial hardship on families, and while narrowing the gap in access to health services