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Country-Specific Resources

Sint Maarten flagSint Maarten

Location: Caribbean Sea
Population: 40,812
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The Arawak and Carib inhabited the island before it was claimed by several European powers—notably the Dutch and the French, who partitioned the island in 1648. The Dutch portion of the island became a part of the Dutch West Indies in 1828 and in 1845 was one of the six Dutch island territories in the West Indies that were brought under collective administration. In 1954, those six were reorganized into the Netherlands Antilles. In 1989, the political leadership of Sint Maarten announced its desire to achieve full independence. In 2006, the people of Sint Maarten agreed, along with the other islands and the government of the Netherlands, to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. Sint Maarten became a country within the Kingdom of Netherlands.

The main hospitals are on both sides of the island, and they have modern facilities and emergency rooms. Health care delivery in Sint Maarten operates through primary and secondary health services, through private health care professionals, NGOs, and governmental health care organizations. The primary setting consists of organizations and individual groups such as General Practitioners/ Family Physicians, District Nursing, Dental Care, Paramedical Care, and other Health Care Professionals, and other governmental, NGO, and ambulatory services. Secondary health care consists of clinical and outpatient care provided by the St. Maarten Medical Center, the White and Yellow Cross, and the Mental Health Foundation.

The St. Maarten AIDS Foundation is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization serving the population of Sint Maarten since 1990. The St. Maarten AIDS Foundation seeks to prevent the transmission of HIV and other STIs and reduce their negative impact, including stigma and discrimination, while providing compassionate care, practical support services, and advocating on behalf of those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Sint Maarten, with 2 new infections reported on average each day. There have been 4,492 infections and 75 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country since the pandemic began. Sint Maarten has administered at least 50,410 doses of vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, about 61.9% of the country’s population has been vaccinated.

Learn More About the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Situation in Sint Maarten

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