Saint Lucia: Senior Health Officials attend CARPHA meeting on Regional Health Security

Saint Lucia: The Caribbean Public Health Agency CARPHA recently hosted a stakeholder consultation on Regional Health Security from July 19, 2022, to July 21, 2022, in Trinidad and Tobago.

Regional Health Security deals with the capacity for countries to prepare and respond to major public health threats that impact health, economic and political stability, tourism, trade and access to essential goods and services within the region.

The regional and global spread of new and emerging infectious diseases is one of the main threats to global health security. The importance of global health security to maintain and sustain health was reiterated by the devastating impact of the COVID19 pandemic.

The complex challenges that new and emerging infectious disease pose requires an integrated, sustained, multifaceted and coordinated approach and efforts with multiple sectors.

As such, CARPHA has hosted this high-level meeting of Chief Medical Officers, Public Health Agencies, International Development Partners, CARICOM and other regional entities to gain input and consensus from relevant stakeholders toward an accurate, timely response to public health threats, action and policy to guide member states.

The Chief Medical Officer – Dr Sharon Belmar George, National Epidemiologist – Dr Michelle Francois, Chief Environmental Health Officer- Parker Ragnanan and Laboratory Director of Ezra Long Laboratory – Dr Wayne Felicien, participated in this CARPHA stakeholder meeting on Regional Health Security.