Mosquito-borne diseases high on Caribbean public health agenda

The Aedes Egypti mosquito
The Aedes Egypti mosquito

The emergence of the Chikungunya virus in the Caribbean in 2013, led to more than 800,000 suspected cases in the Caribbean and Latin America to date.

The impact on health and the economies of the Region have been considerable, especially as a significant proportion of persons affected have long-term complications of joint pain and impairment of function. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The two species can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue, yellow fever, and Zika virus.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) will be hosting a Chikungunya Consultation and Partners Forum focusing on Chikungunya and other mosquito borne diseases from March 3rd-5th in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Under the theme Chikungunya in the Caribbean: Meeting Today’s Challenge and Preparing for the Future, the Consultation will bring together international experts from across the Region, as well as from other parts of the world, representing different fields of activity related to Chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases.

CARPHA Executive Director, Dr C. James Hospedales, explained that the aim of the meeting is to support the Caribbean in its response to the Chikungunya epidemic and the growing challenge to health, social and economic systems. He said “the meeting also provides a unique opportunity to renew efforts to position mosquito-borne diseases as a high priority in the public health agenda, and examine the potential for public-private partnerships, as government alone cannot solve the problem.”

The range of topics to be addressed include the Long Term Impact of Chikungunya, Surveillance and Outbreak Response, Entomological Surveillance, Control and Management, Clinical Care and Services, Laboratory Services, Research and Innovation, and Communication Strategies and Experiences.

The Partners Forum will take place on the final day of the Consultation and will serve as an opportunity for development partners, academic institutions, private sector groups, civil society, government representatives and CARPHA staff to connect, share knowledge and promote thinking around novel joint initiatives.

The Consultation, which is funded by the European Union, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad from March 3rd – 4th and the Partners Forum on March 5th, 2015.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

1 Comment

  1. Shameless
    February 25, 2015

    Oh where have all the good men gone? We need men like Maxima Vigilante (soon to be Dr.) and others of similar background back in Dca and the region to help us in these areas. The question remains; Can we woo theses qualified patriots back to our shores where they can contribute the expertise that they are now giving to the USA?

    Assertive, NOT Aggressive!

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available